THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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*7        o 

vy^v-Oc_^< 


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A  CHAPLAIN'S  EXPERIENCE 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT 


The  "Texas"  Under  Fire 


BY 


REV.  HARRY  W.  JONES,  A.M.,  D.D., 

Chaplain  U.  S.  Navy. 


NEW  YORK: 

A.  G.  SHERWOOD  &  Co. 
47  Lafayette  Place. 


Copyright,  igoi, 

by 
HARRY  W.  JONKS. 


r 


DEDICATION. 


TO  the  memory  of  Rear  Admiral  John  W. 
Philip,  United  States  Navy,  the  beloved 
Commanding  Officer  of  the  battleship 
"Texas,"  under  whom  it  was  my  honor  to  serve 
during  our  war  with  Spain,  and  who  on  June 
3Oth,  1900,  in  obedience  to  the  summons  of  his 
Great  Commander-in-Chief ,  passed  away  -  from 
the  battles  of  earth  to  the  rest  and  the  rewards  of 
heaven,  this  book  is  most  tenderly  and  reverently 
dedicated. 


PREFACE. 


1HAVE  been  frequently  requested  by  many 
friends  to  put  in  book  form  the  experiences 
in  life  through  which  I  have  been  called  to 
c*      pass.    Hitherto  I  have  declined  to  do  so,  and  have 
•^      only  consented  now  with  the  hope  that  perhaps 
>.      something  in  the  following  pages  may  be  help- 
ful to  young  men  who  are  contending  with  dis- 
couragements and  whose  pathway  seems  beset 
by  peculiar  difficulties.    If  there  is  anything  nar- 
cv,     rated    here    that    will    cause    some    despondent 
in     brother  to  "take  heart  again,"  I  shall  find  in.  this 
g    my  greatest  joy  and  richest  reward. 

The  experiences  especially  of  the  past  two  or 
three  years  as  Chaplain  in  the  Navy  often  seem 
to  me  more  like  a  dream  than  a  reality.  Of  these 


thrilling  events  I  have  endeavored  to  place  be- 


fore  the  public  a  true  and  faithful  account. 

Perhaps  I  may  add  that  twenty-five  per  cent. 

of  the  profit  from  the  sale  of  this  book  is  to  be 

5|     given  to  the  Trustees  of  Wake  Forest  College, 

**     Wake  Forest,  North  Carolina,  for  the  purpose  of 

aiding  deserving  young  men  who  are  struggling 

to  obtain  the  advantage  of  an  education. 

H.  W.  J. 


<&••- 


CONTENTS. 

PART   I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

How  I  Came  to  Be  a  Minister,  and  How 
I  Came  to  Preach  my  First  Sermon I 

CHAPTER  II. 
My  Seminary  Days  and  Their  Trials 9 

CHAPTER  III. 
My  First  Pastorate  17 

CHAPTER  IV. 

With  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Stepney, 
Conn.    An  Interesting  Wedding 27 

CHAPTER  V. 

A    Meeting    for    Men    at    White    Hills, 

Conn,    An  Important  Person  Present 41 

vii 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Fox  Caught  in  his  Own  Trap.    An  In- 
teresting Trial  at  Monroe  Court  House  ....     49 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Visit  from  my  Sister 61 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Two  Peculiar  Weddings 67 

CHAPTER  IX. 

As  Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
Arlington,  N.  J 71 

CHAPTER  X. 
Brotherly  Love  85 

CHAPTER  XI. 
My  Dream,  and  News  from  Washington    89 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Close  of  my  Ministry  on  Shore 101 

viii 


CONTENTS. 


PART  II. 

CHAPTER  I. 
First  Orders  to  Duty 109 

CHAPTER  II. 
Chaplain  of  the  U.S.S.  "Texas" 119 

CHAPTER  III. 
My  First  Cruise  131 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  Bar  Harbor,  Maine,  Experience 141 

CHAPTER  V. 
Blowing  Up  of  the  "Maine" 149 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Forty-eight  Hours'  Leave 157 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Flying  Squadron  Goes  to  Sea  under 

Sealed  Orders  167 

ix 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Going  in  of  the  "Merrimac" 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Under  Fire   .........................   187 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Burial  under  Fire  ..................   197 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Going  Over  the  Mines  ................  211 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Landing  of  the  Army  ............  219 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Army  Failed  to  Connect  ..........  227 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Destruction  of  Cervera's  Fleet  .........  231 

CHAPTER  XV. 

On  the  "St.  Louis"  with  Admiral  Cervera  247 
x 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVL 
The  Disappointment  of  my  Life 263 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
A  Visit  to  my  Mother 271 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Renewing  Old  Acquaintances 285 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  CLOSE. 
Chaplain  of  the  "Chicago" 291 


XI 


PART    I. 

THE   EXPERIENCES   OF    A 

CHAPLAIN  ASHORE 

AND  AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HOW  I  CAME  TO  BE  A  MINISTER,  AND  HOW  I  CAME 
TO  PREACH  MY  FIRST  SERMON. 

C'  TE  one  Saturday  night  in  May,  in  the 
year  1886,  I  was  sitting  in  the  rooms  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
at  Saugerties,  Ulster  County,  State  of  New  York, 
where  I  was  General  Secretary  of  the  Associa-, 
tion ;  a  number  of  young  men  were  in  the  rooms, 
some  were  reading  the  various  magazines,  others 
were  amusing  themselves  playing  chess  or  check- 
ers. I  was  at  my  desk  preparing  my  Bible  lesson 
for  the  Bible-class  which  I  was  to  conduct  the 
next  afternoon.  One  of  the  young  men  sug- 
gested that  it  was  time  to  go  home,  and  we  were 
preparing  to  leave  the  rooms  when  Mrs.  Conklin, 
the  wife  of  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Conklin,  pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  came  in  and  inquired  for 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


me.  I  greeted  her,  and  she  informed  me  that  Mr. 
Conklin  was  over  at  the  parsonage  confined  to  his 
bed  and  would  like  very  much  to  have  me  go  over 
and  see  him,  if  I  possibly  could.  I  went,  and 
found  him  quite  sick.  Extending  his  hand,  he 
said:  "I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  my  dear 
brother,  but  I  know  that  the  request  I  am  about  to 
make  will  be  very  sudden.  I  am  ill,  as  you  see, 
and,  unless  I  can  secure  some  one  to  fill  my  place, 
our  church  will  have  to  be  closed  to-morrow.  So 
I  want  you  to  preach  for  me,  morning  and  even- 
ing." I  replied :  "Well,  I  should  say  it  is  sudden ; 
and  feel  I  must  decline,  as  I  never  preached  a  ser- 
mon in  my  life  and  could  not  begin  to  prepare  two 
sermons  to  be  delivered  to-morrow."  He  per- 
sisted in  his  pleading,  promised  me  the  aid  of 
his  prayers  and  assured  me  if  I  consented  that 
God  would  be  with  me,  and  that,  if  I  looked  to 
Him,  He  would  aid  and  bless  me.  After  a  great 
deal  of  persuasion,  I  consented.  Going  home,  I 
went  to  my  room,  got  my  concordance,  and  im- 
mediately began  to  look  for  a  verse  for  my  morn- 
ing subject.  I  had  no  idea  what  to  preach  from, 
but  at  last  I  found  the  words :  "Behold  now  is  the 
accepted  time;  behold  now  is  the  day  of  salva- 
tion." I  began  writing  and  found  my  thoughts 
came  much  faster  than  I  ever  anticipated,  and  by 
daylight  I  had  prepared  a  sermon  for  the  morn- 
ing service. 

2, 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


At  ten  o'clock,  I  left  ,  the  house,  after 
having  asked  God  to  bless  me,  and  went  over  to 
the  church.  I  felt  very  nervous  as  I  went  up  into 
the  pulpit;  in  fact  I  was  never  so  nervous  before 
in  all  my  life.  As  I  rose  to  give  out  the  first 
hymn,  to  my  joy  and  delight,  who  should  come 
in  but  dear  old  Dr.  Longyear,  who  at  one  time 
was  pastor  of  the  church.  At  the  close  of  the 
hymn,  I  invited  him  into  the  pulpit.  As  soon  as 
he  had  taken  his  seat  I  announced  to  the  congre- 
gation my  pleasure  in  welcoming  to  his  old  pul- 
pit our  beloved  Doctor,  and  at  the  same  time  as- 
sured them  of  the  great  treat  in  store  for  them, 
as  they  would  listen  again  to  his  familiar  voice, 
expounding  God's  truth  that  morning.  I  felt 
greatly  relieved,  and  requested  the  Doctor  to  give 
me  the  chapter  he  wished  me  to  read.  He  replied : 
"Read  the  chapter  you  intended  to  read,  my  dear 
brother."  This  I  did;  at  the  close  of  which  I 
asked  him  to  lead  us  in  prayer.  In  a  very  firm, 
earnest  manner  he  commended  me  to  God  and 
asked  Him  to  bless  the  young  speaker  of  the 
morning,  as  he  would  preach  his  first  sermon.  I 
enjoyed  the  prayer,  but  at  the  same  time  was 
greatly  disappointed,  as  I  fully  expected  the 
Doctor  would  come  to  my  assistance.  I  an- 
nounced the  second  hymn  and  sat  down  by  the 
side  of  the  aged  minister.  He  took  me  by  the 
hand  as  a  father  would  his  son,  and,  looking  right 
3 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


in  my  face,  said :  "My  dear  boy,  you  would  have 
preached  if  I  had  not  come  this  morning,  so  go 
right  along  and  forget  that  I  am  here.  Should 
there  be  time  at  the  close  of  your  remarks,  I  will 
have  something  to  say,  but  I  cannot  preach  for 
you,  as  there  is  no  knowing  what  the  conse- 
quences would  be  if  you  disobey  what  I  consider 
a  direct  call  from  God  to  speak  to-day."  Sum- 
moning up  sufficient  courage,  I  gave  out  my  text 
with  fear  and  trembling,  and  then  began  speak- 
ing on  the  subject,  pleading  the  importance  of 
the  present  time  and  presenting  the  blessed  as- 
surance of  reward  should  we  obey  the  invitation 
of  the  text.  I  spoke  about  twenty  minutes,  when 
I  took  my  seat.  Before  I  had  time  to  say  a  word 
to  the  Doctor,  he  was  on  his  feet,  beseeching  God 
to  bless  the  message  which  had  been  delivered  to 
them.  Then,  addressing  the  people,  he  told  how 
pleased  he  was  that  I  had  done  the  sensible  thing 
in  selecting  for  my  first  text  a  verse  from  the 
blessed  Book  that  was  so  simple,  and  one  that  I 
understood  so  thoroughly.  Continuing,  he  said 
many  men  in  their  first  attempt  at  preaching 
tried  to  deal  with  difficult  portions  of  the  Book, 
and  their  efforts  proved  a  failure;  but  he  was 
convinced  that  if  I  decided  to  enter  the  minis- 
try, and  continued  to  preach  the  simple  Gospel  as  I 
had  done  that  morning,  God  would  give  me  many 
jewels  for  my  crown.  I  was  greatly  overcome 
4 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


by  the  earnestness  with  which  he  spoke,  and  with 
the  kindly  way  in  which  he  had  endorsed  my 
feeble  effort.  After  the  benediction  many  of  the 
people  of  the  church  thanked  me  for  the  helpful 
message,  and  said  they  would  ever  remember  the 
service  of  that  day. 

Returning  home,  I  got  on  my  knees  and  ren- 
dered thanks  to  God  for  His  assistance,  and 
asked  Him  to  bless  the  service  which  I  was  to 
conduct  that  evening.  I  was  led  to  select  a  sub- 
ject especially  adapted  to  young  men,  and  as  I 
was  engaged  in  young  men's  work,  felt  more  at 
home  in  treating  a  subject  addressed  to  them.  I 
prepared  therefore  more  of  an  informal  talk  on 
"Spiritual  Railroading;  or,  the  Reasonableness 
and  the  Desirableness  of  Religion,"  and  had  a 
blessed  time  speaking  that  night.  The  church 
was  crowded.  I  returned  to  my  home  feeling 
that  possibly  it  was  Providence  that  had  placed 
me  in  the  pulpit  that  day.  I  felt  different  from 
what  I  ever  had  before  in  my  life.  I  promised 
God  that  if  it  was  His  will  that  I  should  be  a 
minister,  and  He  would  make  it  plain  to  me,  I 
would  obey. 

The  following  Thursday  evening  I  was 
unable  to  attend  the  prayer-meeting,  but 
Friday  morning  the  aged  clerk  of  the  church 
came  to  the  rooms  and  handed  me  a  letter.  I 
opened  it  and  found  there  a  certificate.  The  old 
5 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


man  was  staring  at  me,  his  face  all  aglow,  as  I 
read  the  license  authorizing  me  to  preach,  and 
which  made  me  practically  a  minister,  excepting 
that  I  was  not  allowed  to  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper  or  to  baptize.  Then  he  said:  "Brother 
Jones,  the  church  voted  you  last  night  this  li- 
cense, giving  you  its  endorsement  to  preach 
whenever  the  opportunity  presented  itself,  as  the 
members  felt  that  you  deserved  it."  It  was  not 
long  after  this  that  I  began  receiving  invitations 
from  all  the  small  churches  of  the  surrounding 
country,  to  go  out  and  speak  for  them.  I  ac- 
cepted many  of  them,  and  had  a  grand  time  visit- 
ing these  outlying  fields.  At  last  I  was  called 
to  Wisconsin  to  take  charge  of  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  in  that  State.  At  Little 
River  there  was  a  French  Presbyterian  Church 
without  a  pastor,  in  fact  the  church  was  too  poor 
to  engage  one.  A  committee  waited  on  me,  and 
asked  me  to  go  out  and  preach  for  them  Sun- 
day evenings.  I  consented  to  do  this,  and  for  a 
year  or  more  preached  in  that  church.  I  had 
every  reason  to  be  encouraged,  the  congregation 
kept  increasing,  but  still  I  fought  the  idea  of  de- 
voting myself  wholly  to  the  Christian  ministry. 
The  urgency  of  the  impression  wore  off,  and  I 
promised  God  that  if  He  would  allow  me  to  enter 
again  my  business  calling,  I  would  serve  Him 
as  best  I  could  with  my  means  and  otherwise. 
6 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Going  to  church  one  morning  I  heard  the 
Rev.  Doctor  Chadwick,  the  Methodist  minister, 
preach  an  earnest  sermon  to  young  men,  plead- 
ing with  them  to  devote  their  lives  to  the  cause 
of  the  Master,  and  if  they  felt  called  to  enter  the 
ministry,  to  yield  to  the  invitation.  Then,  in  a 
tone  of  voice  which  I  shall  never  forget,  he  said : 
"Young  man,  will  you  be  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ?"  As  he  said  it,  he  pointed  his  finger  di- 
rectly at  me.  I  was  overcome,  but  said  nothing. 
After  he  had  pronounced  the  benediction  he 
came  right  over  to  where  I  was  and  said : 
"Brother  Jones,  why  do  you  strive  so  against  the 
Spirit?  I  really  believe  that  God  has  called  you 
to  the  ministry  and  it  is  sinful  for  you  to  fight 
against  His  will."  Still  I  did  not  give  him  any 
answer  that  would  cause  him  to  think  that  I 
would  be  a  minister.  The  next  day  he  called  to 
see  me,  prayed  with  me,  and  talked  with  me 
about  the  seriousness  of  my  procrastination. 
Before  the  week  had  ended,  I  told  him  that  I 
would  prepare  myself  to  enter  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  immediately  began  making  my 
plans  to  enter  a  seminary,  putting  myself  in 
communication  with  the  various  theological  sem- 
inaries of  the  country.  I  received  favorable  re- 
plies, but  selected  from  the  many  the  invitation 
to  attend  Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  I  closed  my  work  with  the 
7 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


Association  and,  early  in  the  month  of  September, 
1889,  bade  farewell  to  that  Western  country,  and 
came  East  to  prepare  myself  for  the  work  to 
which  I  was  then  thoroughly  convinced  I  had 
been  called.  During  these  early  days  of  preach- 
ing all  the  additions  to  the  churches  were  young 
men,  and  that  was  one  reason  why  I  was  loath  to 
give  up  my  work  with  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  but  God,  unseen  by  human  eye, 
was  constantly  leading  me. 


8 


CHAPTER  II. 

MY  SEMINARY  DAYS  AND  THEIR  TRIALS. 

I  ARRIVED  in  the  city  of  Rochester  the  day 
before  the  studies  commenced  at  the  sem- 
inary. Immediately  I  went  to  see  the 
president,  and  talked  matters  over  with  him.  I 
found  him  a  very  genial  Christian  gentleman, 
thoroughly  consecrated  to  his  life  work  of  fitting 
young  men  for  the  ministry,  and  I  could  readily 
understand  why  such  a  man  as  Dr.  J.  H.  Strong 
had  been  selected  as  president  of  Rochester 
Theological  Seminary.  He  asked  me  various 
questions  regarding  my  financial  condition,  in- 
quiring specially  whether  I  was  prepared  to  go 
through  the  seminary,  and  pay  my  own  way,  as 
I  would  have  to  do.  I  told  him  that  I  was.  He 
asked  me  if  I  had  friends  that  would  help  me. 
I  told  him  "No,"  many  of  them  could  do  so  if 
they  wished,  but  I  felt  certain  that  none  of  them 
would  aid  me  in  educating  myself  for  the  minis- 
try. Then  he  said:  "Mr.  Jones,  as  president  of 
this  institution,  I  would  like  to  know  just  how 
!you  are  situated,  because  all  that  the  seminary 
9 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


provides  for  its  students  is  a  room  in  the  dor- 
mitory." I  answered :  "Well,  Doctor,  to  be  frank 
with  you,  I  have  at  my  immediate  command  the 
sum  of  nine  cents."  "Then  you  expect  to  receive 
a  remittance  from  some  one  or  some  place 
shortly."  I  answered,  "No,  sir,  I  do  not."  "Well, 
then,  my  dear  brother,"  he  answered,  "I  am  very 
sorry  to  be  obliged  to  inform  you  that  the  sem- 
inary is  not  in  a  position  to  pay  the  way  of  its 
students."  I  replied :  "Well,  Doctor,  it  would  be 
time  enough  for  you  to  mention  that  fact  to  me 
when  I  sought  aid  from  you."  "Well,  what  do 
you  expect  to  do?"  he  asked.  I  said:  "I  do  not 
know,  sir;  but  I  have  come  here  to  go  through 
this  seminary  and  I  am  going  to  do  it  by  God's 
help.  Give  me  until  to-morrow  afternoon  and  I 
will  tell  you  then  what  I  have  done,  and  I  feel 
sure  that  I  will  be  able  to  tell  you  that  the  way  is 
opened  and  I  am  going  to  work  my  way  through 
this  institution."  He  said:  "Very  well,  I  wish 
you  every  success ;  see  me  at  my  office  to-morrow 
afternoon,  but  in  the  meantime  take  this  dollar  to 
help  you  until  then."  I  said:  "No,  thank  you, 
Doctor,  I  do  not  wish  to  take  one  cent." 

I  went  out  into  the  city,  not  knowing  where 
to  go,  or  what  to  do,  but  assured  that  God  would 
lead  me  in  the  path  He  would  have  me  go,  and 
would  show  me  just  what  to  do.  I  sauntered 
along  through  one  street  after  another,  and  at 
10 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


last  came  to  the  business  part  of  the  city.  I  no- 
ticed a  magnificent  restaurant,  beautifully  fitted 
up,  and  thought:  "Here  is  my  opportunity."  I 
was  then  beginning  to  feel  a  little  hungry.  So  I 
walked  up  to  the  desk  and  met  the  pleasant-faced 
gentleman  who  was  the  proprietor,  when  I  said: 
"Excuse  me,  sir,  but  I  have  come  to  this  city  as 
a  student  of  the  Theological  Seminary.  I  want 
to  educate  myself  for  the  ministry,  and  I  want 
some  work  to  enable  me  to  pay  my  way."  He 
said:  "What  can  you  do?"  I  answered:  "Well, 
sir,  I  can  eat."  With  a  hearty  laugh,  he  said: 
"You  don't  look  very  hungry."  I  said :  "No,  sir, 
perhaps  not ;  but  I  begin  to  realize  that  I  have  an 
appetite,  and  if  I  am  to  go  through  the  semi- 
nary, it  will  trouble  me  more  or  less  during  my 
stay  in  this  city.  I  understood  you  to  say  that 
you  were  busy  between  twelve  and  two.  I  would 
be  glad  to  come  down  every  day  at  that  time,  if 
you  could  use  me  as  a  waiter  for  my  dinner  and 
twenty-five  cents  a  day."  He  looked  at  me  and, 
laughing,  said:  "That  would  not  pay  you  very 
much."  I  answered:  "No,  sir,  the  twenty-five 
cents  may  not ;  the  dinner  will  though."  He  said : 
"I  will  take  you  on,  but  will  pay  you  three  dol- 
lars a  week.  I  presume,  however,  you  are  a  good 
waiter."  I  said :  "No,  sir,  I  never  waited  on  table 
in  my  life,  but  I  know  just  how  to  do  it."  He  said : 
"How  do  you  know  you  do?"  I  answered: 
II 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"Well,  I  have  had  men  waiting  on  me,  and  I  know 
just  how  they  did  it." 

I  went  back  to  the  seminary  after  having 
taken  my  dinner,  feeling  as  happy  as  a  bird. 
Doctor  Strong  had  gone  home.  I  could  not  wait, 
however,  until  the  next  afternoon  to  see  him, 
but  immediately  went  down  to  his  house  and 
told  him  I  had  succeeded,  having  obtained  a 
position  at  three  dollars  a  week,  with  my  dinner 
each  day.  He  was  as  delighted  as  I  was,  and 
said :  "Jones,  you  have  the  material  in  you  that 
is  going  to  make  you  succeed.  Keep  right  along, 
my  boy,  and  some  day  I  shall  hear  great  things 
of  you." 

The  next  day  the  classes  were  made  up  and  I 
entered  the  junior  class,  after  having  qualified  for 
it.  I  found  my  class  work  exceedingly  difficult. 
I  believe  I  studied  as  hard  as  any  student  at  that 
school.  I  would  have  my  lessons  well  prepared, 
but  just  as  soon  as  I  was  called  upon  in  the  class- 
room to  recite,  when  I  got  on  my  feet,  every- 
thing I  had  committed  to  memory  left  me,  and  I 
would  stand  there  as  though  I  knew  nothing.  I 
was  greatly  mortified,  and  would  have  to  say: 
"Excuse  me,  Doctor,  but  I  cannot  answer  your 
question."  I  was  called  upon  about  twice  a 
week,  and  every  time  had  the  same  experience. 
At  last  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  had  enough  of 
that.  I  knew  that  I  was  simply  "class-room 

12 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


scared."  So  I  went  to  the  Doctor  at  the  close  of 
the  exercise  one  afternoon  and  said:  "Doctor,  I 
fear  you  will  think  that  I  am  shirking  my  duties 
and  neglecting  my  studies,  but  I  assure  you,  sir, 
that  I  work  hard  and  faithfully,  and  in  my  room 
could  answer  any  question  a  student  might  put 
to  me,  but  when  I  get  to  the  class-room  before  all 
the  students,  were  you  to  ask  one  of  the  same 
questions  of  me,  I  would  not  be  able  to  answer 
it."  He  said :  "Evidently  you  are  frightened 
when  you  get  on  your  feet."  I  said :  "That  is  just 
it,  sir,  but  I  want  to  conquer  that  feeling,  and  can 
do  it  with  your  assistance."  He  answered: 
/'Well,  I  will  do  all  that  is  in  my  power  for  you." 
,1  said:  "Well,  sir,  you  can  help  me;  if  instead  of 
calling  upon  me  to  recite  once  or  twice  a  week,  as 
you  have  been  doing  heretofore,  you  have  me  re- 
cite every  day  until  I  get  over  this  embarrass- 
ment." "I  will  do  it  with  pleasure,"  he  replied ; 
"but  that  will  make  you  work  very  hard,  because 
you  will  have  to  prepare  thoroughly  every  lesson 
during  the  week."  I  said :  "Well,  sir,  that  is  what 
I  want  to  do,  and  that  is  what  I  will  do."  Never 
after  that  did  I  fail  in  a  single  recitation. 

At  last  my  turn  came  to  preach  a  sermon. 
The  text  was  given  me  by  our  Homiletical  Pro- 
fessor. I  had  two  weeks  in  which  to  prepare  my- 
self. Putting  on  my  best  suit  of  clothes,  as  I 
was  to  be  the  speaker  of  the  occasion,  I  looked 
13 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


into  the  glass  and  saw  many  white  patches  show- 
ing through  the  worn  black  cloth  of  my  frock 
coat.  I  got  the  ink  bottle  and  commenced  cov- 
ering up  with  the  black  fluid  the  white  lining  that 
was  showing  through  the  cloth.  Going  down 
into  the  class-room,  I  took  my  seat  behind  the 
desk  in  the  little  room  arranged  as  a  chapel.  I 
announced  my  text  and  commenced  my  sermon. 
One  after  another  of  the  students  began  taking 
notes  of  what  I  said.  The  professor  took  none, 
but  I  could  tell  that  he  was  taking  it  all  in  and 
would  know  just  the  value  of  my  effort  when  I 
had  finished.  The  custom  was  after  the  preach- 
ing was  over  that  the  students  and  the  professor 
would  criticise  the  sermon  from  a  homiletical 
standpoint  and  also  in  style  and  delivery.  At 
times  they  were  very  severe  in  fault-finding. 

The  professor  stood  up  and  looked  at  me. 
He  said:  "Brother  Jones,  that  is  the  finest  text 
that  I  have  ever  heard  preached  from."  There 
was  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  I  felt  highly  com- 
plimented. "But  to  be  frank  with  you,  it  is  the 
worst  sermon  I  ever  listened  to  in  my  life."  And 
then  he  began  picking  it  all  to  pieces  and  by  the 
time  he  got  through  there  was  very  little  of  my 
sermon  left.  After  he  had  finished,  one  after  an- 
other of  the  students  had  something  to  say  in  the 
shape  of  criticism.  I  thought  to  myself:  "Never 
mind,  boys,  your  turn  will  come  as  well  as  mine — 
14 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


if  I  don't  give  it  to  you,  my  name  is  not  Jones." 
I  went  to  my  room  feeling,  after  the  overhauling 
I  had  had,  I  was  surely  a  ministerial  failure,  and 
from  that  day  I  denounced  the  idea  of  pulpit 
criticism.  But,  looking  back  to-day,  I  can  see 
what  a  blessing  that  experience  was  to  me. 

I  was  at  the  seminary  about  a  year,  when  I 
was  called  to  mission  work  in  New  York.  I 
went  there  feeling  that  it  was  a  good  opportun- 
ity for  me  to  put  in  a  year  or  so  at  that  work  and 
get  sufficient  money  to  enable  me  to  go  through 
school  without  having  to  pinch  and  strive  as  I 
had  done  during  the  year  that  had  passed,  hoping 
also  that  later  I  would  be  able  to  go  either  to 
Spurgeon's  or  Moody's  school  to  complete  my 
studies. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MY  FIRST  PASTORATE. 

1WAS  at  St.  Bartholomew's  Mission,  42d 
Street,  west  of  Third  Avenue,  New  York, 
about  a  year,  and  obtained  quite  an  insight 
into  New  York  City  charitable  work.  This  mis- 
sion was  conducted  by  St.  Bartholomew's 
Church,  and  was  chiefly  maintained  with  money 
received  from  the  late  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  who 
about  five  years  before  his  death,  erected  the  mag- 
nificent building  known  as  St.  Bartholomew's 
Parish  House,  east  of  Third  Avenue,  on  the 
same  street.  Friday  nights  the  old  building 
presented  scenes  I  shall  never  forget.  The  doors 
were  opened  at  seven  o'clock  sharp.  It  was  the  cus- 
tom on  those  nights  to  give  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
a  sandwich  to  men  who  were  in  need.  Long  be- 
fore the  time  of  opening  the  doors,  hundreds  of 
these  poor  unfortunate  fellows  would  be  block- 
ing the  street,  and  when  the  doors  were  thrown 
open,  these  poor  hungry  mortals  would  rush  in 
and  take  their  seats  in  the  large  hall  where  the 
meetings  were  conducted.  At  the  close  of  the 
17 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


religious  exercises,  twenty  or  thirty  men  would 
pass  around  large  trays  laden  with  sand- 
wiches, followed  by  men  bearing  large  pitchers 
filled  with  the  finest  coffee,  which  they  would 
pour  into  the  cups  with  which  the  men  had  been 
furnished.  This  feeding  of  New  York's  hungry 
poor  was  carried  on  largely  through  the  gener- 
osity of  the  gentleman  mentioned  above.  I  en- 
joyed my  work  there  very  much  indeed,  and  it 
will  not  be  out  of  place  to  say  right  here,  there 
was  a  very  charming  young  lady  who  devoted  her 
evenings  to  presiding  at  the  organ  or  piano,  to 
the  great  delight  of  the  men.  I  will  admit  I  was 
greatly  impressed  with  her  musical  talent,  and 
saw  a  great  deal  of  her,  as  I  conducted  services 
in  the  building  every  evening.  But  at  the  close 
of  my  engagement  there,  I  left  to  complete  my 
studies  without  having  once  mentioned  to  her 
how  much  I  admired  her.  It  was  not  strange, 
therefore,  that,  after  having  completed  my  studies, 
I  should  return  and  seek  out  this  young  lady,  who 
has  since  become  the  one  who  has  shared  my  joys 
with  me  these  past  eight  years  of  our  married  life 
and  has  proved  a  blessing  to  me  in  every  way, 
filling  that  most  important  position,  viz.,  that  of 
a  minister's  wife. 

Soon  after  our  marriage  I  received  a  call  to  go 
to  Suffern,  Rockland  County,  New  York,  to  en- 
gage in  two  weeks'  evangelistic  services  with  the 
18 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


First  Baptist  Church  of  that  city.  I  went  there, 
and  found  the  church  in  a  most  deplorable  con- 
dition. It  had  been  closed  for  the  ten  preceding 
years;  and  its  membership  had  united  with  sev- 
eral churches  of  other  denominations.  I  saw  the 
opportunity  for  a  good  work  there,  and  immedi- 
ately had  circulated  necessary  advertising  mat- 
ter, informing  the  people  that  services  would  be 
conducted  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  every 
night  in  the  week,  Saturday  excepted.  I  com- 
menced these  meetings  Sunday  morning.  A  fair 
audience  greeted  me,  but  I  had  a  much  larger 
congregation  at  night.  At  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing Friday  night  of  the  following  week,  we  had 
the  gratification  of  receiving  twelve  persons  for 
membership,  a  family  of  four  being  among  them. 
At  the  close  of  the  Sunday  night  service,  I  was 
requested  to  leave  the  church,  as  there  were  mat- 
ters the  members  wanted  to  talk  over,  so  I  went 
to  the  residence  of  old  Deacon  Quackenbush.  As 
I  could  not  return  to  New  York  City,  I  always 
remained  there  over  night.  I  was  occupying  my 
time  reading  a  book  I  had  found  lying  on  the 
table,  when  in  came  the  deacon,  the  church  clerk, 
and  three  or  four  other  members  from  the 
church.  They  informed  me  that  the  church  had 
extended  to  me  a  unanimous  call  to  become  its 
pastor.  I  read  the  invitation,  and  told  them  I 
would  give  them  an  answer  the  following 
19 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


Sunday  morning.  At  the  specified  time  I 
told  the  church  that  I  would  accept  the 
call,  providing  it  would  be  understood  from 
the  commencement  that  in  calling  me  to  be 
their  pastor  it  did  not  mean  that  they 
called  my  wife  as  my  hired  assistant.  She, 
by  the  way,  was  always  perfectly  willing  to 
do  her  part  in  aiding  me  in  my  ministerial  duties. 
I  further  stated  that  under  no  consideration 
would  I  accept  their  call  unless  the  church  would 
be  known  as  the  People's  Church.  The  poorest  as 
well  as  the  wealthiest  brother  should  have  equal 
rights  to  a  vote  at  church  meetings.  The  only 
leader  should  be  the  meek  and  lowly  Master,  and 
should  they  at  any  time  see  anything  amiss  in  me, 
their  pastor,  they  were  not  to  go  unto  Sister  So- 
and-So,  or  Brother  So-and-So,  and  talk  about  it, 
but  come  to  me,  and  tell  me  of  my  faults,  and  I 
would  take  them  by  the  hand  and  thank  them  if  I 
was  in  the  wrong ;  and  should  I  see  anything  out 
of  the  way  with  any  of  them,  they  could  expect 
an  early  visit  from  me,  as  I  would  treat  them  in 
the  same  way  that  I  had  requested  them  to  treat 
me.  That  night  my  terms  were  accepted,  and  we 
started  out  feeling  that  a  great  work  was  in  store 
for  us,  and  that  God  would  bless  us  as  pastor  and 
people.  I  was  not  ordained  at  this  time,  but  in- 
vitations to  the  ordination  were  sent  out, 
inviting  the  pastor  with  two  delegates  from 
20 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


each  church  of  the  Southern  New  York 
Baptist  Association.  The  day  was  set,  March 
9th,  1893.  We  had  had  a  tremendous  snow 
storm  the  first  of  the  month.  On  the  sev- 
enth it  was  quite  warm,  and  by  the  ninth  the 
roads  were  flooded  nearly  all  the  way  from  our 
church  to  the  station,  the  ice  and  snow  having 
melted.  You  could  not  go  about  by  sleigh  or 
wagon  with  any  satisfaction.  I  went  to  the  depot 
and  met  the  delegates  with  the  various  turnouts 
that  were  provided  for  the  purpose  of  transpor- 
tation. Some  were  closed  carriages,  some  bug- 
gies, the  others  sleighs ;  but  the  people  who  chose 
the  sleighs  to  take  them  over  to  the  church  had  a 
great  experience.  The  horses  could  not  draw 
them  through  the  mud,  and  to  walk  in  the  road 
was  simply  impossible,  so  they  pulled  the  sleighs 
over  as  close  as  they  could  get  to  the  stone  walls 
that  were  on  either  side  of  the  thoroughfare. 
Getting  out  from  the  sleighs,  the  people  com- 
menced to  walk  a  distance  of  three  miles  over 
these  stone  walls,  having  to  dismount  every  now 
and  then  where  the  road  turned  off  or  where  there 
was  an  opening  leading  to  a  private  estate.  After 
a  great  deal  of  perseverance,  they  reached  our 
church.  At  ten  o'clock  that  morning  a  very  fair 
number  had  assembled,  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and  I  was  in- 
troduced as  the  candidate  for  ordination.  I  was 
21 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


asked  the  usual  questions  regarding  my  call  to 
the  ministry,  etc.,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon the  council  adjourned  to  compare  notes.  At 
six  o'clock  I  was  informed  that  the  council  was 
satisfied,  and  wanted  to  know  my  wishes  as  to  the 
ordination.  It  was  decided  I  should  be  ordained 
that  night,  and  at  half-past  seven  the  ordination 
services  took  place.  The  Rev.  E.  S.  Hollo- 
way,  of  New  York,  preached  the  ordination 
sermon,  choosing  for  his  text  the  fourth  chap- 
ter of  the  Second  Epistle  of  Timothy,  a  part  of 
the  last  verse — "Preach  the  Word."  The  Rev. 
James  Francis,  of  New  York  City,  delivered  the 
charge  to  the  candidate,  and  the  Rev.  A.  C. 
Arnold  delivered  the  charge  to  the  church.  At 
the  close  of  this  service,  I  was  introduced  to  the 
congregation  as  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Jones,  and  was 
requested  to  pronounce  the  benediction,  which  I 
did. 

My  first  pleasant  duty  as  pastor  was  to  bap- 
tize the  twelve  people  who  had  professed  conver- 
sion during  the  revival  services.  I  started  in  to 
work  with  a  great  deal  of  zeal  and  determina- 
tion, the  church  edifice  being  in  a  terrible  condi- 
tion from  being  closed  so  many  years.  The  first 
thing  we  did  was  to  raise  money  to  put  in  new 
windows,  which  were  to  be  stained  glass;  the 
male  members  agreeing  to  put  the  glass  in,  if  the 
church  would  buy  it.  After  this  was  finished,  we 

22 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


raised  money  for  repainting  the  church  and  put- 
ting in  a  new  pulpit.  And  by  the  time  this  was 
done,  we  had  a  nice,  cosy-looking  church  build- 
ing. At  a  church  meeting,  it  was  decided  to  re- 
dedicate  the  building,  and  we  invited  the  Rev. 
R.  S.  MacArthur,  D.D.,  pastor  of  Calvary  Baptist 
Church,  New  York,  to  preach  the  dedicatory  ser- 
mon, requesting  several  other  ministers  to  join 
us  in  these  pleasant  exercises.  A  very  interest- 
ing and  gratifying  congregation  filled  our  church 
and  listened  to  the  Doctor  as  he  preached  to  them 
the  same  old  story,  and  yet,  in  every  word  he  ut^ 
tered,  brought  out  the  joyfulness  and  blessedness 
of  serving  God,  and  congratulated  the  people  upon 
the  marked  success  pertaining  to  the  pastorate. 
It  was  a  moonlight  night,  and  the  vast  audience 
was  invited  to  go  down  to  the  Cooper  Lake,  where 
four  young  people  were  to  be  baptized  by  the 
pastor.  As  we  were  leaving  the  church  Mr.  E. 
Degrot  and  his  wife,  from  Ramsey,  met  me  at  the 
door  and  said:  "Brother,  we  too  wish  to  follow 
the  Lord  Jesus  into  the  baptismal  waters.  Can 
we  be  baptized  to-night  ?"  I  replied :  "As  far  as 
I  am  concerned,  I  will  gladly  immerse  you;  but 
I  presume  the  better  way  will  be  to  present  the 
matter  to  the  church."  We  called  a  meeting 
there  and  then  outside  of  the  building;  Brother 
Degrot  and  his  wife  told  their  experience,  and 
they  were  unanimously  elected  for  membership. 
23 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


Instead  of  baptizing  four  that  evening,  it  was 
my  pleasure  to  baptize  six.  As  I  went  down  into 
the  waters,  the  shores  were  black  with  people, 
who  had  come  from  all  the  surrounding  country 
to  witness  this  moonlight  baptism.  We  had  gone 
there  the  night  before  and  had  selected  our  place 
for  immersion.  I  went  into  the  water  just  as 
the  moon  was  coming  over  the  hill  top,  spreading 
its  rays  across  the  water,  where  I  stood.  The 
water  looked  like  silver,  or  as  though  the  blessed 
Spirit  was  shedding  His  influence  across  the  deep. 
As  the  candidates  were  led  into  the  water,  the 
women  dressed  in  white,  the  men  in  black,  they 
presented  a  most  beautiful  picture,  and  several  of 
the  onlookers  who  had  come  there  just  out  of 
curiosity  were  convicted  of  their  sins.  Four  of 
these  that  stood  amid  that  multitude  of  people 
saw,  as  they  had  never  seen  before,  the  beauty  of 
following  the  Master  in  baptism  and  of  obeying 
His  divine  command.  These  were  baptized  by 
me  two  Sundays  later. 

The  fourth  of  June,  1893,  I  had  the  unutter- 
able pleasure  of  leading  into  the  waters  my  es- 
teemed wife ;  it  was,  in  fact,  the  greatest  joy  that  I 
had  ever  experienced.  Just  before  descending  into 
the  waters  of  Cooper  Lake,  my  church  presented 
me  with  a  magnificent  baptismal  gown.  I  used  it 
for  the  first  time  to  baptize  Mrs.  Jones,  and  have 
used  it  ever  since,  as  I  preach  in  it  to  this  day. 
24 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


The  next  work  I  undertook  to  do  was  to  erect 
a  parsonage.  Deacon  James  Quackenbush  pre- 
sented the  church  with  a  lot  100  by  125  feet,  al- 
most opposite  the  church,  on  which  site  the  house 
was  built.  Just  as  we  were  about  to  occupy  it,  I 
received  and  accepted  a  call  to  become  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Stepney,  Conn.,  and 
closed  my  labors  with  the  Suffern  people,  after 
having  been  with  them  a  little  over  a  year,  dur- 
ing which  time  there  were  twenty-eight  additions 
to  the  church. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WITH     THE     FIRST     BAPTIST     CHURCH,     STEPNEY, 
CONN.      AN  INTERESTING  WEDDING. 

GOING  to  Stepney,  I  found  many  charm- 
ing people  there,  several  of  whom 
were  devout,  consecrated  believers. 
The  church  property  consisted  of  a  church  and 
parsonage,  which  was  in  very  good  condition. 
There  was  a  membership  of  about  one  hundred. 
I  preached  my  first  sermon  as  their  pastor  the 
first  Sunday  in  November,  1893.  A  good  con- 
gregation greeted  me,  and  we  started  in  for  ear- 
nest, zealous  work,  commencing  as  I  did  at  Suf- 
fern,  with  two  weeks'  revival  services,  which  re- 
sulted in  five  conversions — four  young  men  and 
one  young  woman — who  were  baptized  by  me  in 
the  Hawley  Brook.  My  experience  with  these 
people  proved  more  exciting  and  varied  than  I 
expected  when  I  first  entered  upon  my  duties 
there.  The  first  thing  of  any  importance  that 
occurred  was  on  a  Saturday  morning.  It  was 
raining  very  hard,  and  as  fast  as  the  rain  fell  on 
the  ground  it  would  freeze,  making  the  roads 
27 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


and  sidewalks  like  a  sheet  of  glass.  To  enable 
me  to  reach  my  barn,  I  had  to  take  with  me  a 
coal  scuttle  filled  with  ashes,  and  as  I  went  along 
I  would  drop  sufficient  of  the  ashes  in  places  to 
step  on  to  avoid  falling  down. 

Going  back  to  the  house,  the  door  bell 
rang,  and  as  I  opened  the  door  a  lady 
of  fine  appearance  was  standing  there.  Out- 
side my  gate  was  a  closed  carriage  with  a 
magnificent  team  of  horses  before  it,  and 
the  coachman  dressed  in  such  a  way  as  to  show 
he  was  driving  for  a  very  wealthy  family.  The 
lady  inquired  if  I  was  Mr.  Jones,  the  Baptist 
minister.  I  told  her  I  was.  Then  she  said:  "I 
have  come  over  from  New  Haven,  having  driven 
from  there  this  morning  to  find  out  whether  you 
practise  what  you  preach.  Could  you  give  me 
about  three  hours  of  your  time,  as  I  have  a  matter 
of  great  importance  I  wish  to  consult  you  about?" 
I  said:  "Yes,  madam;  I  shall  be  delighted  to 
devote  this  morning  to  you ;  but  if  you  are  very 
anxious  to  find  out  if  I  practise  what  I  preach, 
I  would  suggest  that  you  ask  Mrs.  Jones,  as  she 
would  be  the  only  person  to  answer  that  inquiry." 
She  remarked :  "It  is  not  so  much  that,  but  I 
heard  you  preach  once,  or  rather  lecture,  and  I 
wish  to  find  out  for  my  own  satisfaction  whether 
you  are  as  sympathetic  in  your  nature  as  you  ap- 
peared to  be  in  your  lecture." 
28 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


I  was  somewhat  surprised  at  this,  and 
scarcely  knew  how  to  take  it.  So  I  ven- 
tured to  ask  where  she  had  heard  me  lec- 
ture. She  informed  me  at  New  Haven, 
when  I  spoke  on  the  subject  of  "Fallen  Women," 
and  it  was  on  that  account  she  had  ventured  to 
travel  the  distance  she  had  through  the  blinding 
storm  then  raging.  I  told  her  that  I  thought 
I  was  prepared  to  live  up  to  all  I  had  stated 
that  night,  and  if  there  was  anything  that  I 
could  do  to  assist  any  unfortunate  creature  who 
had  fallen,  I  stood  ready  and  willing  to  do  what 
God  would  have  me  do.  Then  she  said :  "I  have 
been  to  see  seven  or  eight  ministers,  every  one  of 
whom  refused  to  listen  to  my  appeal,  and  as  a 
last  resort  I  have  come  to  you ;  but  before  I  con- 
tinue my  story  I  wish  that  you  would  kneel  down 
with  me  in  this  room,  together  with  your  wife, 
and  ask  God  to  grant  that  I  may  not  utter  one 
harsh  word  here,  and  that,  no  matter  how  I  have 
been  wronged  in  the  past,  I  may  have  a  Christian, 
charitable  feeling  toward  those  who  have  injured 
me  and  mine." 

As  we  arose  from  our  knees,  she  unfolded 
to  me  one  of  the  most  pitiful  stories  I 
had  ever  listened  to.  She  stated  that  somewhere 
in  New  York,  in  a  home  for  fallen  women,  she  had 
a  niece,  who  had  been  deceived  by  a  man  living 
in  Astoria,  N.  Y.  And,  after  getting  this 
29 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


girl,  who  was  merely  a  child,  into  trouble — she 
was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  at  the  time — he 
forsook  her  and  went  away.  This  aunt  believed 
he  was  somewhere  in  the  State  of  Connecticut, 
and  her  mission  to  me  was  to  have  me  find  him 
and  try  to  convince  him  of  his  sin.  I  asked  her 
if  she  knew  in  what  city  or  town  he  was.  She 
said  she  did  not.  So  I  reminded  her  that 
while  it  was  true  that  Connecticut  was  a  very 
small  place  on  the  map,  it  was  a  large  place  to 
search  to  find  a  man,  and  I  could  not  see  how  I 
could  help  her,  unless  she  could  tell  me  where  he 
was,  or  give  me  some  idea  where  to  commence  my 
search.  She  could  not  do  this,  so  I  had  to  again 
blight  her  hopes  by  showing  her  that  I  was  utterly 
unable  to  render  her  any  assistance,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  her  look  as  she  left  my  house,  sad 
and  broken  in  spirit,  feeling  that  her  last  hope 
had  fled.  She  thanked  me  for  my  kindness  to 
her,  and  appreciated  my  willingness  to  assist  her 
in  offering  to  do  anything  that  was  in  my  power. 
I  told  her  if  I  should  hear  of  him  I  would  let  her 
know,  but  not  to  build  any  hopes,  as  I  could  not 
hold  out  any  encouragement  to  her. 

The  next  day  turned  out  to  be  beautiful  and 
warm,  so  I  drove  my  wife  and  little  baby  down  to 
Bridgeport,  a  distance  of  eleven  miles  from  Step- 
ney. Driving  through  Broad  Street,  I  met  the 
postmaster  of  the  city,  whom  I  knew  very  well.  I 
30 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


asked  him  if  he  knew  a  man  called  R in 

Bridgeport.     He   said:   "Yes,   there  is   a  John 

R just  below  here!"     I  said:  "Well,  it  is 

Frank  R I  am  looking  for;  but  I  will  try  it 

anyway."  Driving  on  to  the  number  he  gave  me, 
I  got  out  of  my  carriage  and  rang  the  door  bell. 
A  young  man  answered  it,  and  I  said:  "Is  this 

Mr.  John  R ?"     He  said:  "Yes,  sir."    And 

without  the  least  thought,  I  said:  "How  is  your 
brother  Frank  ?"  "Oh,  he  is  fine ;  doing  nicely," 
he  replied.  I  asked  him  where  he  was  now,  as 
I  would  like  to  see  him,  having  been  a  pastor 
once  not  far  from  their  home  in  Astoria.  He 
said:  "Well,  Frank  got  into  a  little  trouble  some 
time  ago,  and  mother  thought  it  best  for  him  to 
leave  home,  so  she  bought  a  farm  called  the 
H farm,  in  Monroe,  where  they  are  now  set- 
tled, and  Frank  is  running  it."  I  knew  the  farm 
and  said:  "That  is  strange,  he  is  only  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  my  church ;  I  will  call  and 
see  him."  I  had  a  hard  time  to  conceal  my  joy 
over  the  fact  that  I  had  located  him.  Driving 
back  to  Stepney,  I  hitched  up  my  other  horse, 
telling  Mrs.  Jones  as  I  drove  out  of  the  gate  that  I 
should  not  be  long,  as  I  was  only  going  over  to 
Monroe.  I  drove  over  quite  fast,  and  just  as  I 
reached  the  farm,  the  young  man  for  whom  I  was 
searching  made  his  appearance.  I  recognized 
him  from  the  likeness  to  his  brother.  I  thought : 
31 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"Now  I  will  try  this  fellow  by  making  him  think 
I  am  a  detective."  I  was  clad  in  an  ordinary  citi- 
zen's suit,  which  would  not  indicate  that  I  was  a 
minister,  so  I  said  to  him:  "Hitch  my  horse 
somewhere  out  of  the  wind ;  blanket  him  well,  as 
I  am  very  choice  of  him."  If  I  had  never  been 
informed  of  the  character  of  this  man  I  should 
have  known  there  was  something  about  him  that 
was  wrong,  and  that  he  was  expecting  trouble. 
I  carried  out  my  object  of  deception  for  several 
minutes,  then  told  him  I  was  the  Baptist  minister 
from  Stepney,  and  was  out  making  acquaint- 
ances in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  was  ex- 
ceedingly glad  to  meet  him,  and  gave  him  a  cor- 
dial invitation  to  call  on  me,  and  attend  our  ser- 
vices, which  he  promised  to  do.  As  I  left  him, 
I  said :  "Frank,  we  are  both  young  men ;  the  only 
difference  between  us  is  I  am  trying  to  follow  the 
Saviour,  who,  when  He  saw  a  woman  in  distress, 
pitied  her,  and  I  hope  some  day  to  see  that  same 

character     portrayed     in     Frank     R ."       I 

thought  possibly  that  might  cause  him  to  think  of 
the  past.  I  saw  nothing  of  him  at  the  church,  so 
three  weeks  later  called  upon  him,  inquiring  after 
his  health  and  so  on,  at  which  time  he  introduced 
me  to  his  mother.  I  found  her  such  a  person  as 
I  could  well  understand  would  teach  her  boy  al- 
most anything  that  was  bad. 

After  my  return  to  the  village  that  morning, 
32 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


I  telegraphed  Mrs.  B ,  whom  I  had  learned 

was  the  wife  of  one  of  the  wealthiest  merchants 
in  New  Haven,  that  I  had  found  the  young  man 
whom  she  had  been  seeking,  asking  her  to  come 
over  and  see  me,  which  she  did  that  afternoon. 
And  when  I  told  her  where  he  was,  she  imme- 
diately wanted  to  go  to  him  and  plead  with  him 
to  do  what  was  right  by  her  niece.  I  begged  her 
not  to  do  it,  however,  and  asked  her  to  leave  it 
entirely  with  me,  and  give  me  plenty  of  time,  and 
I  thought  it  would  be  all  right.  This  she  agreed 
to  do.  I  saw  a  great  deal  of  Frank  the  next  four 

weeks,  and  then  sent  this  message  to  Mrs.  B : 

"Go  to  New  York  on  the  morning  train,  get 
Annie  and  the  child.  Return  on  the  7:15  this 
evening.  I  will  meet  you  at  the  station.  Don't 
fail."  I  went  down  to  the  station  to  see  if  she 
was  on  board  the  train,  as  she  had  to  pass 
through  Stepney  on  her  way  to  New  York,  and 
found  she  was.  I  had  no  time  to  speak  to  her  ex- 
cept to  say,  "Good  morning,"  as  the  train  only 
stopped  a  few  seconds.  I  met  the  evening  train, 
taking  my  man  with  me,  he  driving  my  surrey — I 
was  in  a  buggy.  They  arrived,  the  aunt,  niece, 
and  little  girl,  who  was  then  four  years  old.  I 

whispered  to  Mrs.  B :  "Say  nothing  to  this 

driver,  but  go  with  him  over  to  the  parsonage." 
She   asked:    "Where   are   you   going?"     I   an- 
swered :  "I  am  going  over  after  Frank,  as  I  in- 
33 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


tend  to  marry  him  to  your  niece  this  evening." 
She  said:  "What!  have  you  told  him?"  I  said: 
"No,  he  does  not  even  surmise  I  know  anything 
about  it."  "Then  how  do  you  know  you  will 
marry  him?"  she  asked.  I  answered  that  I  was 
reasonably  sure  I  would  be  able  to  accomplish  my 
purpose;  for  her  to  do  as  I  requested  her  and 
wait  the  result. 

It  was  dusk  when  I  arrived  at  the   H 

farm.  Frank  was  coming  out  of  the  gate- 
way bearing  a  pail  of  warm  water  intended 
for  the  poultry,  as  it  was  an  exceedingly  bitter 
cold  evening.  Hailing  him,  I  said  :  "I  wish  to  see 
you,  Frank,  when  you  are  through.  I  will  meet  you 
up  by  the  barn."  After  waiting  a  few  minutes, 
he  appeared.  Extending  my  hand  to  him,  I  said : 
"Frank,  -do  you  think  I  am  your  friend  or  your 
enemy?"  He  said:  "I  think  you  are  my  friend." 
Then  I  said :  "Have  I  at  any  time,  by  any  word  or 
act,  showed  you  that  I  knew  you  to  be  one  of  the 
most  contemptible  men  that  God  ever  allowed  to 
live  ?"  He  looked  at  me  in  amazement,  and  asked 
me  what  I  meant.  I  said :  "Do  you  know  Annie 

C ?"  He  said:  "I  do."    "You  know  what  I 

mean  then,  Frank,  as  I  know  the  whole  story,  and 
have  known  it  since  the  day  before  I  first  met 
you,  and  I  have  two  witnesses  to  prove  your 
guilt."  "I  know  better,"  he  said ;  "but  I  presume 

you  mean  the  girl  herself  and  Bessie  S ."  I 

34 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


answered:  "I  never  heard  of  Bessie  S ;  that 

makes  three,  as  I  simply  had  Annie's  statement 
and  the  little  girl's  face:  for  believe  me,  Frank, 
Edna  is  the  image  of  you."  He  asked  how  I 
knew  that,  and  if  I  knew  where  the  little  one  was. 
I  told  him  she  and  her  mother  were  at  my  house, 
where  they  would  stay,  and  if  he  would  not  pro- 
vide for  that  child,  I  would.  "What  do  you  wish 
me  to  do  then?"  he  asked.  I  said:  "All  I  wish 
you  to  do,  Frank,  is  to  be  a  man:  marry  Annie 
simply  to  give  her  little  innocent  tot  a  name." 
He  said :  "I  never  will !"  I  said :  "Yes,  you  will, 
Frank,  I  feel  sure."  After  pleading  with  him 
some  time,  he  said :  "Well,  sir,  I  will  do  it  if  my 
mother  will  allow  me  to." 

Taking  him  at  his  word,  I  asked  where 
his  mother  was.  He  informed  me  that  she  was  in 
the  house,  so  we  went  there  to  tell  her,  and  I 
never  in  my  life  experienced  such  a  time  as  I 
did  then.  Never  had  I  received  such  a  tongue 
thrashing  as  that  woman  gave  me.  I  stood  there 
looking  at  her,  but  never  said  a  word  until  she 
was  through,  then,  turning  so  as  to  point 
at  her  daughter,  a  young  lady  sitting  in  the  room, 
I  said  to  this  unnatural  mother :  "My  dear  wom- 
an, you  may  talk  as  you  see  fit ;  but  I  have  never 
yet  seen  any  one  who  was  guilty  of  a  crime,  but 
that  in  some  way  or  other  it  has  come  back  to 
them.  Remember  that  you  have  a  daughter,  and 
35 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


take  care  that  God  does  not  punish  you  for  the 
way  you  are  standing  between  this  man,  your 
son,  and  the  right."  She  was  rather  ashamed  of 
herself  and  said :  "Well,  he  can  do  as  he  sees  fit." 
Turning  to  Frank,  I  said :  "You  hear  that,  Frank. 
What  will  you  do?"  He  said :  "Well,  I  will  do  it, 
sir,  and  will  be  over  to  your  place  in  about  an 
hour's  time."  I  asked  him  what  he  meant.  He 
answered :  "I  will  have  to  shave  and  change  my 
clothes,  and  will  hitch  up  my  horse  and  come 
right  over."  I  said:  "No,  you  wont,  Frank;  we 
lost  you  once,  but  we  don't  propose  to  lose  you 
twice.  My  buggy  is  large  enough  for  two — you 
will  come  just  as  you  are,  with  me."  He  did  not 
want  to  do  that,  but  at  last  yielded  to  my  en- 
treaty. 

We  drove  over  to  the  parsonage  and, 
opening  the  door,  there  stood  Annie  with  the 
little  tot  by  her  side.  I  said :  "Annie,  Frank  has 
come  over  to  see  you  and  Edna."  They  greeted 
each  other,  and  the  facial  expressions  exhibited 
by  them  will  never  be  erased  from  my  memory. 
I  told  Annie  that  Frank  had  come  to  do  what 
was  right  by  her,  and,  calling  the  aunt  aside,  said : 
"Before  I  can  marry  them,  I  have  to  get  a  li- 
cense, and  the  town  clerk  is  four  miles  from 
here.  I  would  rather  not  go  for  him,  as  I  want 
to  be  with  Frank."  Then  she  said:  "Spare  no 
expense,  but  send  for  him."  I  went  down  to  the 
36 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Methodist  minister  and  asked  him  if  he  would 
allow  his  coachman  to  go  over  to  Monroe  for  me 
on  a  matter  of  importance.  He  consented  gladly, 
and  I  said  to  Mr.  Powell,  his  man:  "Make  the 
best  time  you  can.  Tell  Mr.  Nicolson,  the  town 
clerk,  to  come  over  to  the  Baptist  parsonage  im- 
mediately, and  bring  a  marriage  license  with  him, 
as  I  would  pay  him  well."  It  was  then  8:30. 
Two  hours  passed,  still  no  town  clerk  appeared. 
Frank  was  getting  rather  restless  and  he  said: 
"Mr.  Jones,  I  will  have  to  be  going."  I  assured 
him  they  would  soon  come,  and  just  then,  to  my 
great  delight  and  relief,  Mr.  Nicolson  appeared. 
I  went  out  to  the  dining-room  where  the  town 
clerk  was  and  speaking  to  him  said :  "You  know 
this  young  man  well ;  I  want  you  to  give  him  a 
kind  word  and  encourage  him  for  the  stand  he 
is  about  to  take."  He  took  my  hand  and  prom- 
ised me  he  would  do  so.  "But  I  thought  some  one 
was  dying,"  he  said,  "as  I  could  not  imagine  why 
you  would  send  for  me  in  such  haste  such  a  night 
as  this."  We  filled  out  the  license,  then  went  into 

the  parlor,  the  town  clerk  and  Mrs.  B acting 

as  witnesses.  Taking  my  place  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  I  told  Frank  and  Annie  where  to  stand ; 
little  Edna, their  child,  walked  over  of  her  own  ac- 
cord and  took  the  hand  of  her  mother.  Looking 
at  them,  I  said:  "I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  to 
make  one  promise  that  you  will  not  keep.  I  will 
37 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


simply  ask  a  promise  of  you  which  when  you 
make  it  will  be  immediately  fulfilled,  and  all  else 
we  will  leave  with  God."  So,  looking  at  Frank,  I 

said :  "Frank  R ,  will  you  take  Annie  C 

to  be  your  wife?"  He  said:  "I  will."     Then  I 

asked  Annie :  "Annie  C ,  will  you  take  Frank 

R to  be  your  husband?"    She  said :  "I  will." 

After  this  I  simply  said :  "In  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  this  State  and  by  the  authority  vested  in 
me  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  I  pronounce  you 
husband  and  wife.  I  have  not  asked  you  to 
love  each  other  or  anything  of  that  kind ;  I  have 
simply  accomplished  what  I  was  anxious  to  do — 
the  giving  of  this  little  one  a  name." 

I  then  asked  Frank  to  kiss  the  child.  He  picked 
her  up  in  his  arms,  tears  running  down  his  cheeks, 
and  nestled  her  close  to  his  bosom.  Then  I  said : 
"Kiss  your  wife,  Frank."  He  replied:  "Never, 
sir,  I  cannot  do  that."  I  said :  "Very  well,  then  I 
will  not  urge  you  to."  Before  leaving  his  home, 
I  promised  his  mother  that  I  would  take  him 
back  that  night,  so  we  started  out,  and  had  driven 
about  a  mile  when  the  two  front  wheels  of  my 
vehicle  refused  to  turn.  We  got  out  and  found 
that  we  had  two  hot  boxes;  it  was  then  nearly 
one  in  the  morning.  We  pounded  on  the  door  of 
a  farmhouse  right  near  where  we  had  stopped. 
Getting  the  farmer  up,  we  asked  him  for  some 
kerosene  oil  to  pour  on  the  axles.  He  gave  it  to 
38 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


us,  and  after  working  about  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes,  we  could  turn  the  wheels  around.  Get- 
ting back  into  the  carriage,  we  continued  our  jour- 
ney, reaching  Frank's  home  in  safety.  I  took  him 
by  the  hand  and  said:  "Frank,  may  God  bless 
you ;  and  remember  that  if  all  others  should  turn 
their  backs  upon  you,  I  will  still  be  your  friend. 
Do  what  is  right  and  I  will  stand  by  you."  I  re- 
turned home  greatly  satisfied  with  what  had  been 
done.  I  tried  to  see  Frank  after  that,  but  could 
find  no  trace  of  him,  so  we  decided  that  he  had 
run  away. 

About  three  months  after  the  marriage,  at  the 
close  of  the  service  one  Sunday  morning,  going 
back  to  the  parsonage,  Mrs.  Jones  met  me  at  the 

front  door  and  said:  "Frank  R is  here;  he 

has  come  for  Annie."  Realizing  what  the  man 
had  been  in  the  past,  I  was  a  little  suspicious,  so 
went  in  and  said :  "Frank,  what  does  this  mean?" 
He  said:  "Well,  sir,  after  I  returned  home  the 
night  you  married  me,  my  mother  made  it  so  un- 
comfortable for  me,  I  decided  to  leave  the  farm, 
so  went  to  New  York  and  obtained  a  position.  I 
have  furnished  an  apartment  there  and  have  come 
now  to  get  my  wife  and  child."  They  left  us 
that  night  and  started  for  their  New  York  home. 
We  corresponded  with  them,  but  all  of  a  sudden, 
they  dropped  entirely  from  our  view. 

Many  of  my  church  people  criticised  me  for 
39 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


having  married  them,  but  I  maintained  that  if  the 
ministry  was  not  to  lift  up  the  fallen,  then  I  had 
mistaken  my  calling,  because  in  helping  them 
morally,  I  was  simply  doing  what  Jesus  did  when 
He  said  to  the  woman:  "Woman,  neither  do  I 
condemn  thee :  go,  and  sin  no  more." 


40 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  MEETING  FOR  MEN  AT  THE  CHURCH  AT  WHITE 

HILLS,  CONN.     AN  IMPORTANT 

PERSON  PRESENT. 

WHITE  HILLS  was  about  eight  or  nine 
miles  from  my  church.  One  even- 
ing I  received  a  pressing  invitation 
to  go  over  there  and  conduct  a  meeting  for 
men  only  at  the  First  Baptist  Church.  I  con- 
sented to  do  it  and  drove  over  the  first  Sunday 
morning  in  September,  1894.  A  large  number  of 
men  were  present.  In  fact,  I  was  surprised  to 
find  so  many  men  in  that  community,  but  I 
learned  after  the  meeting  that  many  of  them  had 
driven  over  from  Shelton  and  other  nearby  towns. 
I  took  as  my  subject:  "Be  men,"  urging  them 
to  realize  the  true  meaning  of  the  word  "men" 
and  holding  up  to  them  that  true  type  of  manhood 
as  it  was  portrayed  in  the  life  of  our  Lord  and 
Master,  Jesus  Christ.  We  had  a  blessed  meeting, 
and  at  the  close  of  my  remarks  I  gave  an  invi- 
tation for  any  young  man  to  hold  up  his  hand 
who  felt  that  he  wanted  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf 
41 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


and  start  anew,  striving  to  do  what  was  right. 
A  number  of  men  accepted  the  invitation.  After 
the  audience  had  dispersed,  I  noticed,  besides  the 
committee  who  had  invited  me  to  speak,  a  gentle- 
man who  was  a  stranger  to  me.  I  could  tell,  how- 
ever, from  his  appearance,  that  he  was  a  man 
well-to-do,  but  I  never  dreamed  who  he  was.  He 
came  up  to  me,  and,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  said : 
"Mr.  Jones,!  heard  you  were  to  be  here  this  morn- 
ing, so  I  came  to  hear  you.  You  certainly  seem  to 
have  the  right  way  of  getting  along  with  men. 
You  are  the  kind  of  a  man  that  should  be  a  chap- 
lain either  in  the  Navy  or  in  the  Army.  Why 
don't  you  go  in  the  Navy?"  I  replied:  "Well, 
sir,  if  you  will  tell  me  why  the  President  of  the 
United  States  has  not  appointed  me,  I  will  tell 
you  why  I  am  not  a  chaplain,  as  that  is  the  only 
reason."  Then  he  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  applied 
for  the  position;  to  which  I  answered  in  the 
negative.  "Would  you  like  to  be  a  chaplain?" 
he  inquired.  I  said :  "Yes,  sir,  it  has  been  the 
height  of  my  ambition  and  the  aim  of  my  life 
ever  since  I  became  a  minister,  to  be  a  chaplain 
in  the  Navy,  but  I  don't  know  what  to  do  to  ob- 
tain such  an  appointment."  Then  he  said:  "I 
will  tell  you,  and  if  you  will  do  it  I  will  aid  you 
all  I  can,  as  I  really  believe  you  to  be  a  man  es- 
pecially adapted  for  that  calling.  You  get  up  an 
application,  have  it  endorsed  by  ministers  and 
42 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


prominent  men ;  do  not  make  the  mistake  that  is 
usually  made  in  having  a  number  of  ward  politi- 
cians to  endorse  you,  but  get  letters  from  clergy- 
men and  men  of  good  standing  in  your  district, 
and  if  you  will  send  them  to  me,  I  will  present 
them  to  the  Secretary  pf  the  Navy  myself."  I 
thanked  him,  and  inquired  whom  I  had  the  honor 
of  addressing.  He  said:  "I  am  D.  N.  Morgan, 
the  United  States  Treasurer,  and  anything  I  can 
do  for  you,  I  will  gladly  do  it."  You  can  imagine 
my  surprise.  I  thanked  him  and  left  the  church, 
got  in  my  buggy,  and  drove  back  home.  I 
thought  a  great  deal  of  what  had  happened  as  I 
drove  along  the  road.  Going  into  the  parson- 
age, I  told  Mrs.  Jones  all  about  it.  She  was  not  as 
favorably  impressed  with  the  idea  as  I  was,  be- 
cause the  first  thing  that  she  mentioned  was  that 
it  would  separate  us,  as  I  would  have  to  go  to  sea. 
I  told  her  I  was  going  to  think  it  over  and  in  all 
probability  would  file  an  application,  and  after 
due  consideration  prepared  the  following : 

STEPNEY,  CONN., 
September  i8th,  1894. 
To  THE  HONORABLE  THE   SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 
Sir: 

The  undersigned    respectfully  applies  for  an 
appointment  in  the  Corps  of  Navy  Chaplains  and 
43 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


represents  that  he  was  born  on  the  I2th  day  of 
July,  1864,  that  his  legal  residence  is  at  Stepney, 
Fair-field  County,  Connecticut,  that  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  denomination  and  at  present 
pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  said 
Stepney. 

Respectfully, 

HARRY  W.  JONES. 

STEPNEY,  CONN., 
September  i8th,  1894. 

We,  the  undersigned,  recommend  the  Rev. 
Harry  W.  Jones  for  the  foregoing  appointment, 
knowing  him  to  be  thoroughly  competent  for  the 
position  for  which  he  applies,  and  we  respectfully 
ask  that  he  be  appointed  thereto. 

We  believe  that  his  appointment  would  give 
general  satisfaction. 

This  was  endorsed  by  clergymen  of  all  denomi- 
nations, among  them  being  a  Roman  Catholic 
priest  who  was  the  rector  of  the  leading  church 
of  his  faith  in  Bridgeport.  Besides  obtaining  the 
signatures  of  ministers,  I  had  merchants  of  good 
standing,  physicians,  the  Board  of  Education,  to- 
gether with  several  men  of  prominence  in  our 
community.  To  strengthen  this  application,  I 
also  sent  letters  from  persons  who  knew  me  well : 
a  few  of  which  were  as  follows : 

44 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


20  EAST  I2OTH  STREET,  NEW  YORK, 

October  24th,  1894. 
To  THE   HONORABLE  THE   SECRETARY   OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Respected  Sir: 

I  hereby  most  earnestly  recommend  the  Rev. 
Harry  W.  Jones  for  the  position  of  Chaplain  in 
the  Navy.  I  have  been  personally  and  intimately 
acquainted  with  him  for  years,  and  know  him  to 
be  a  man  of  most  excellent  Christian  character, 
bright,  wide  awake,  and  especially  attractive  to 
young  men.  I  believe  him  to  have  rare  and  pe- 
culiar gifts  that  fit  him  for  the  position  for  which 
he  has  applied. 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  L.  CAMPBELL,  D.D., 

Pastor  Lexington  Avenue  Baptist  Church, 
New  York  City. 

358  WEST  57TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK, 

October  24-th,  1894. 
To  THE  HONORABLE  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Dear  Sir: 

I  have  learned  that  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Jones  is 
seeking  an  appointment  in  the  Corps  of  Navy 
Chaplains.  His  application,  with  its  list  of  en- 
dorsements, I  have  read  with  interest  and  ap- 
proval. He  has  been  known  to  me  for  the  past 
45 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


few  years  as  a  consistent  Christian  man,  an  ear- 
nest preacher  and  a  devoted  pastor.  It  would 
give  me  much  pleasure  to  know  that  he  had  re- 
ceived the  appointment  for  which  he  makes  ap- 
plication. I  feel  assured  that  he  will  earnestly 
strive  to  do  his  whole  duty  toward  those  under 
his  ministry,  toward  the  Government  which  may 
appoint  him,  and  toward  the  common  Lord  and 
Master  of  us  all,  whose  servant  he  is. 
Very  truly  yours, 

R.  S.  MACARTHUR,  D.D., 
Pastor  Calvary  Baptist  Church. 

BRIDGEPORT,  CONN., 

October  joth,  1894. 
To  THE  HONORABLE  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
My  Dear  Sir: 

As  a  neighboring  pastor,  I  have  known  person- 
ally and  by  reputation  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Jones  as  a 
Christian  and  courteous  gentleman,  spoken  well 
of  and  looked  up  to  with  respect  by  those  in  the 
community  where  he  resides.  I  believe  he  is  well 
qualified  for  such  a  position  as  he  seeks.  He  is 
earnest,  sympathetic,  and  desirous  of  doing  good 
and  elevating  and  saving  especially  the  young 
men.  He  loves  men  for  their  souls'  value. 

Yours  very  truly,  G.  W.  NICHOLSON, 
Pastor  First  Baptist  Church. 
46 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


These  and  several  others  I  forwarded  to  the 
Honorable  D.  N.  Morgan,  together  with  my  ap- 
plication, and  on  November  2d,  1894,  received 
this  letter  from  him : 

TREASURY  DEPARTMENT,  OFFICE  OF  THE  TREAS- 
URER, WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

November  ist,  1894. 
REV.  H.  W.  JONES,  LOCK  Box  213,  STEPNEY, 

CONN. 
My  Dear  Sir: 

Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  3Oth  of  October  is 
just  at  hand.  I  have  placed  the  enclosed  letters 
with  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  with  my  endorse- 
ment of  their  standing  and  worthiness  of  full 
consideration.  I  do  not  think  you  can  do  more, 
and  hope  among  the  many  applications  that  you 
may  be  successful. 

Respectfully  yours, 

DANIEL  N.  MORGAN. 

At  the  time  I  made  application,  there  were 
two  vacancies  existing  in  the  Corps  of  Navy 
Chaplains.  I  watched  the  papers  daily  to  see  if 
any  Chaplains  were  appointed.  On  the  2d  of 
March,  1895, 1  read  in  the  New  York  Herald  that 
the  Rev.  John  B.  Frazier  of  Tennessee  and  the 
Rev.  John  P.  Chidwick  of  New  York  had  been 
appointed  Chaplains  of  the  Navy.  There  being 
47 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


only  two  vacancies,  I  of  course  gave  the  matter 
up  and  settled  down  once  more  for  good,  earnest 
work  with  my  people,  realizing  that  though  I  had 
not  been  appointed,  much  as  I  would  like  to  have 
been,  I  had  not  left  unturned  one  stone  that  might 
have  done  me  good,  and  I  was  encouraged  with 
the  thought  that  I  had  applied  for  the  Chaplaincy 
before  I  passed  the  age  limit,  because  if  anything 
should  ever  happen  in  my  life  to  cause  me  to  look 
back  to  days  gone  by,  I  would  not  be  able  to 
accuse  myself  by  saying:  "You  should  have 
applied  to  be  a  Chaplain  when  you  had  an  oppor- 
tunity/' believing  that  if  God  did  not  want  me  in 
the  Navy,  I  would  succeed  as  a  pastor  on  shore. 
I  wrote  to  Mr.  Morgan,  thanking  him  for  his 
kindness  to  me,  and  then  let  the  matter  of  the 
Chaplaincy  drop  from  my  mind,  informing  my 
people  I  would  still  remain  with  them  as  their 
pastor,  for  how  long  though  I  could  not  say. 


48 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  FOX  CAUGHT  IN  HIS  OWN  TRAP.     AN  INTEREST- 
ING TRIAL  AT  THE  MONROE  COURT  HOUSE. 

ONE  Sunday  while  my  application  for  the 
Chaplaincy  was  pending,  a  young 
lawyer  who  was  chairman  of  our  So- 
ciety's Committee  or,  as  they  are  termed  in  some 
States,  Board  of  Trustees,  called  at  the  study  to 
see  me.  He  was  a  man  anyone  would  believe  was 
greatly  interested  in  Stepney,  judging  from  the 
way  he  acted.  He  resided  there  with  his  parents, 
but  practised  law  in  the  city  of  Bridgeport.  The 
object  of  his  call  was  to  induce  me  to  start  a  Law 
and  Order  League.  The  aim  of  this  League  was 
the  enforcing  of  the  law.  Stepney  had  voted  no 
license,  but  there  were  a  number  of  the  farmers 
throughout  the  section  continually  violating  the 
law  by  selling  liquor  without  a  license.  Two  or 
three  of  these  farmers  were  Irishmen,  and  my 
lawyer  friend  remarked  that  he  was  determined 
to  break  up  this  system  of  violating  the  law, 
and  put  a  stop  to  it.  He  said:  "I  wish,  pastor, 
that  you  would  take  hold  of  this  matter,  and  every 
49 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


case  we  find,  I  will  prosecute  free  of  charge.  I 
am  especially  anxious,"  he  continued,  "to  catch 
these  Irishmen."  I  said:  "Well,  my  brother,  I 
will  not  pose  here  as  a  fanatic  or  attempt  anything 
as  an  individual  pastor  or  independent  church,  but 
if  you  will  persuade  the  other  ministers  of  the 
place  to  join  you  in  this  matter,  I  will  do  my  part ; 
but  as  to  my  going  ahead  alone,  I  absolutely  re- 
fuse." Then  he  said :  "You  will  assist  if  I  can  get 
the  other  ministers  to  co-operate  with  you?"  I 
said:  "Certainly;  anything  for  the  good  of  the 
community  that  the  churches  may  agree  upon,  I 
am  with  them."  He  said :  "All  right,  I  will  see 
you  as  soon  as  I  have  consulted  the  other  minis- 
ters and  report  my  success  or  failure."  I  said: 
"Very  well,  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you." 
Later  that  evening  he  returned  and  was  delighted 
over  the  fact  that  all  the  churches  had  consented 
to  his  plan,  and  had  requested  him  to  have  me  call 
a  union  meeting  to  be  held  in  our  church  the  fol- 
lowing Friday  night.  I  said:  "Very  well,  I  will 
announce  it  this  evening."  Going  to  the  church 
at  the  usual  hour,  before  preaching  the  sermon,  I 
announced  that  the  chairman  of  our  Society's 
Committee  had  interested  himself  in  the  commun- 
ity, he  being  very  anxious  to  enforce  the  law  in 
regard  to  the  selling  of  liquor  without  a  license, 
and  through  his  efforts  we  would  hold  a  union 
meeting  in  our  church  the  following  Friday  even- 
So 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


ing  at  eight  o'clock,  as  all  the  churches  had  agreed 
to  co-operate  with  us  in  forming  a  Law  and  Order 
League. 

Friday  night  came,  and  we  had  a  tre- 
mendous turn  out,  and  were  fortunate  in  having 
with  us  the  State  Secretary  of  the  League,  whose 
headquarters  was  New  Haven.  He  gave  us  a 
very  practical  talk  on  the  workings  of  the  League, 
urging  the  people  to  organize  a  branch  to  be 
known  as  the  Monroe  Branch  of  the  Law  and  Or- 
der League  of  the  State  of  Connecticut.  At  the 
close  of  his  remarks,  the  young  lawyer  sprang  to 
his  feet,  and  was  very  enthusiastic  in  all  he  had 
to  say,  dwelling  upon  the  way  these  Irishmen 
were  bringing  disgrace  to  the  place,  and  he,  as  a 
lawyer,  was  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  it,  and 
every  case  we  had,  he  would  prosecute  without 
expense  either  to  the  League  or  State.  Then  he 
proposed  me  as  the  Secretary  of  our  local  League. 
I  jumped  up  and  declined.  My  wife  also  begged 
me  not  to  take  the  office,  as  the  duty  of  the  Secre- 
tary was  to  seek  out  persons  who  were  violating 
the  law,  then  enter  a  complaint  and  procure  a 
search  warrant  for  the  League's  detectives  to 
search  the  various  buildings,  all  of  which  I  knew 
would  tend  to  make  me,  a  minister,  very  unpopu- 
lar. Turning  to  the  lawyer,  I  said:  "Should  I 
take  this  office,  remember,  were  I  to  catch  my  own 
father  violating  the  law,  I  would  have  him  ar- 
51 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


rested  just  as  quickly  as  I  would  yours."  He 
said:  "That  is  just  it, brother, that  is  entirely  what 
we  want — a  man  who  will  have  no  fear."  And 
after  a  great  deal  of  persuasion,  I  accepted  the 
office,  much  against  the  wishes  of  Mrs.  Jones, 
however.  We  adjourned  to  meet  at  some  future 
date,  it  being  left  to  me  as  Secretary  to  call  the 
next  meeting. 

Three  months  had  passed  and  nothing 
had  been  said  or  done  publicly  of  the 
work  accomplished  by  the  League.  The  news- 
papers were  making  a  great  deal  of  sport  of  this 
Law  and  Order  League  that  had  sprung  up  so 
suddenly  in  the  Baptist  Church  of  Stepney  one 
night,  and  to  all  appearances  had  died  there  and 
then  a  natural  death.  I  said  nothing,  but  all  the 
time  I  was  getting  my  information,  and  watching 
suspicious  places,  keeping  three  in  close  surveil- 
lance where  I  was  sure  rum  was  being  sold.  At 
last  the  time  arrived  when  I  was  ready  to  search 
the  premises.  How  to  get  my  detectives  into  the 
village  without  their  being  seen  was  a  study.  At 
last  the  idea  presented  itself  to  me.  Our  ladies 
were  going  to  have  a  new  carpet  in  the  church. 
It  was  to  be  brought  from  Bridgeport  the  next 
Friday,  and  it  so  happened  that  Friday  was  the 
day  one  of  these  farmers  went  to  Bridgeport 
with  his  produce  and  returned  with  his  rum.  I 
went  to  Bridgeport  early  that  Friday  morning 
52 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


and  telegraphed  to  the  head  office  of  the  Law 
and  Order  League  at  New  Haven  to  send  me  six 
detectives,  so  that  they  would  arrive  in  Bridge- 
port that  afternoon.  Then  I  went  to  the  mer- 
chant from  whom  our  ladies  had  purchased  the 
carpet  for  the  church,  and  asked  him  if  he  was 
ready  to  fulfil  his  contract  and  deliver  to  us  that 
day  the  carpet  our  ladies  ordered.  He  said:  "I 
am;  our  wagon  will  be  ready  in  about  twenty 
minutes'  time."  "Well,  then,  you  hold  it  until  I 
return,"  I  said.  "I  will  be  here  about  four 
o'clock ;  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  you  to  send 
any  men,  as  I  will  have  six  men  with  me  who 
will  go  up  with  your  driver  in  the  wagon." 

I  was  delighted  with  the  scheme.  I  went  down 
to  the  station  at  Bridgeport  and  met  the  detectives 
on  their  arrival,  and  took  them  over  to  the  store. 
Revealing  to  them  the  secret,  they  all  agreed  that 
the  scheme  was  an  admirable  one.  Getting  into 
the  wagon,  they  proceeded  to  Stepney.  I  re- 
turned in  my  private  carriage,  which  allowed  me 
to  reach  the  parsonage  some  time  ahead  of  them. 
I  had  the  church  door  open  ready  for  them  as 
soon  as  they  appeared ;  and  it  was  amusing  to  see 
those  great,  big,  burly  fellows  tugging  at  that 
carpet,  as  they  took  it  into  the  church.  After 
they  had  taken  it  in,  the  wagon  returned  to 
Bridgeport.  I  shut  the  doors  and  then  the  de- 
tectives commenced  hammering,  to  make  the 
53 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


passers  by  believe  they  were  laying  the  carpet. 
After  a  while  the  hammering  ceased.  Letting 
them  out  through  the  rear  door  of  the  church, 
they  went  over  to  the  parsonage,  where  we  had 
supper  prepared  for  them.  After  supper  we  went 
down  to  the  barn,  it  then  being  dark,  hitched  my 
horses,  one  to  the  surrey,  the  other  to  the  buggy ; 
and  when  all  was  ready,  I  returned  to  the  house ; 
but  before  going,  I  told  the  detectives  that  when 
I  lighted  the  lamp  in  my  study,  they  should  drive 
out  of  the  gate,  as  that  would  be  a  signal  that  one 
of  the  men  I  was  looking  for  had  returned  from 
Bridgeport. 

I  did  not  have  to  keep  them  waiting  long  be- 
fore I  saw  a  light  drive  in  the  gateway 
leading  to  the  farmhouse  we  intended  searching, 
and  very  soon  there  were  lights  coming  from  all 
directions,  as  the  men  of  the  community,  carrying 
lanterns,  would  go  over  to  get  what  they  had  or- 
dered. I  lighted  the  lamp,  then  ran  downstairs 
and  met  the  detectives  at  the  front  of  the  parson- 
age. We  drove  into  the  farmyard.  I  left  two 
detectives  in  charge  at  the  wagon,  which  had  just 
returned  from  Bridgeport,  two  I  stationed  at  the 
front  door  of  the  house,  and  two  I  took  with  me 
around  to  the  rear.  A  great,  gruff  farmer  met 
me  and  said:  "What  do  you  want  here?"  I  re- 
plied :  "I  want  just  what  I  am  after,  sir;  I  have  a 
warrant  to  search  your  premises."  Then  he  said : 
54 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


"You  will  search  them  over  my  dead  body."  I  said : 
"We  are  willing  to  do  that  if  it  is  necessary.  Do 
not  stand  in  the  way  of  the  law,  as  I  have  a  war- 
rant to  go  through  your  house ;  and  go  through  it 
we  will,  dead  or  alive."  He  dared  us.  Looking 
at  the  detectives,  I  said:  "Gentlemen,  proceed." 
And  in  they  went,  leaving  the  farmer  gazing  after 
us,  but  never  attempting  any  violence.  While  we 
were  searching  the  house,  the  other  detectives 
searched  the  wagon,  and  before  we  left  the  prem- 
ises found  quite  a  quantity  of  liquor.  We  ar- 
rested the  man  and  took  him  before  Justice 
Hayes.  Then  I  went  for  the  young  lawyer,  and 
told  him  we  had  a  case  for  him,  and  he  was  de- 
lighted. He  said :  "I  was  sure  the  thing  existed, 
and  now  we  will  make  an  example  of  this  case." 
We  went  to  the  house  of  the  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and,  to  the  amazement  of  the  young  lawyer,  who 
should  stand  before  him  as  the  first  prisoner  to 
be  tried,  but  his  uncle,  and  I  never  saw  such  an 
indignant  man  as  this  young  attorney  was,  when 
he  saw  what  we  had  done.  I  don't  know  whether 
he  knew  his  uncle  was  in  the  business  or  not,  but 
I  knew  it  the  night  we  organized,  when  I  made 
the  statement  that,  should  I  catch  my  own 
father  violating  the  law,  I  would  arrest  him  just 
as  soon  as  I  would  his.  The  case  was  set  for 
the  next  Tuesday,  so  his  nephew  went  his  bond. 
Leaving  the  house  of  the  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
55 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


I  led  the  detectives  to  the  next  place  where  I  was 
satisfied  the  same  state  of  affairs  existed.  Arriv- 
ing there,  we  got  out  of  the  carriage  and  com- 
menced pounding  on  the  door  of  the  farmhouse, 
but  received  no  reply.  At  last  a  man  put  his  head 
out  of  the  bedroom  window  and  shouted: 
"Who's  there?"  I  said:  "It  is  I,  the  Baptist  min- 
ister. Open  the  door."  "Oh,"  he  says,  "it  is  you, 
is  it?  Then  I  will  see  you  somewhere  else  before  I 
will  ever  open  my  door  to  let  you  in."  I  said: 
"I  will  give  you  just  one  minute  to  open  the  door. 
If  it  is  not  opened  at  the  end  of  that  time,  I  will 
break  the  door  down,  as  I  have  with  me  six 
officers  of  the  law."  The  door  was  promptly 
opened.  Our  Irish  host  greeted  us  most  cordially, 
and  said :  "Come  in,  gentlemen,  make  a  thorough 
search — I  know  what  you  are  up  to."  And  we 
commenced  searching,  first  the  house,  then  the 
barn,  and  all  the  outsheds,  and  found  nothing. 
The  detectives  said  to  me:  "Mr.  Jones,  there  is 
nothing  here,  we  had  better  go  home."  I  said : 
"There  is  one  place  we  have  not  searched,  and 
that  place  will  be  searched  before  we  leave  this 
house."  The  old  Irishman  eyed  me,  and  then  he 
said:  "Go  ahead,  search  any  place  you  like." 
Then  I  said:  "Gentlemen,  follow  me."  We  re- 
turned to  the  bedroom,  where  the  man's  wife  was 
still  in  bed,  it  being  a  large  box-shape  folding  ar- 
rangement. Now  I  said :  "Gentlemen,  if  you  had 
56 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


come  to  my  house  to  search  my  premises,  my  wife 
would  have  been  out  of  bed  before  I  was.  I  will 
admit  it  is  not  very  polite  for  me  to  request  it, 
but  I  must  do  it ;  this  lady  must  get  up  and  let  us 
look  through  that  bed."  Her  husband  protested, 
and  the  more  he  protested,  the  more  we  were  con- 
vinced there  was  something  besides  a  woman  in 
the  bed.  She  refused  to  get  up.  Then  I  said: 
"Madam,  if  you  will  not  get  up,  these  detectives 
will  lift  you  out  of  the  bed,  so  you  had  better 
throw  the  bedding  around  you  and  get  up  of  your 
own  accord."  This  she  did  when  she  saw  we 
were  determined.  We  searched  the  bed  and 
found  several  pints  of  liquor  under  the  mattress. 
We  arrested  the  man  and  took  him  before  the 
same  Justice  of  the  Peace  that  the  other  prisoner 
had  been  taken  before,  and  he,  likewise,  was  held 
under  a  hundred-dollar  bond  until  the  next 
Tuesday. 

The  trial  took  place  in  the  Monroe  Court 
House.  The  young  lawyer  had  previously  sent 
word  to  me  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  prose- 
cute the  cases,  so  I  had  better  get  some  other  at- 
torney to  attend  to  them.  I  went  down  to  Bridge- 
port and  secured  the  liquor  prosecuting  attorney 
to  come  up  and  attend  to  the  cases  for  us.  And 
instead  of  the  worthy  chairman  doing  as  he  so 
treely  offered  to  do  at  our  first  meeting  of  the 
League,  he  secured  a  Newtown  lawyer  to  defend 
his  uncle.  His  uncle,  after  being  accused,  pleaded 
57 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


not  guilty.  Then  I  took  the  stand  as  chief  witness 
for  the  State.  His  lawyer,  after  I  was  sworn, 
commenced  his  examination;  he  made  me  state 
all  I  knew  of  the  case,  which  I  did  in  very  quick 
order.  Then,  looking  at  me,  he  said :  "What  is 
your  name?"  I  said :  "Harry  W.  Jones."  "How 
old  are  you?"  he  asked.  I  replied:  "I  don't 
know."  He  said:  "You  mean  to  tell  me,  you 
don't  know  how  old  you  are?"  I  said:  "I  mean 
to  tell  you,  sir,  just  that."  Then  he  said:  "Do 
you  dare  to  pose  as  an  intelligent  man,  and  have 
the  audacity  to  tell  me,  before  this  court,  that 
you  do  not  know  your  age  ?"  I  said :  "I  do,  sir." 
Then,  turning  to  the  judge,  the  lawyer  requested 
him  to  compel  me  to  answer  his  question.  The 
judge,  addressing  me,  said :  "Mr.  Jones,  you  are 
to  answer  these  questions  if  you  can."  I  said: 
"Well,  your  honor,  my  mother  told  me  I  was  born 
the  1 2th  day  of  July,  1864,  but  when  she  told  me 
it,  she  was  not  under  oath ;  I  am."  Continuing,  I 
said :  "If  my  mother  was  correct,  I  am  thirty-one 
years  of  age."  The  lawyer  then  asked  me :  "Is  it 
true,  Mr.  Jones,  that  you  have  been  to  State's 
prison?"  I  said :  "Yes,  sir,  it  is."  "I  thought  so," 
he  said,  "from  what  I  have  heard."  Then,  turn- 
ing to  the  court,  he  said :  "Gentlemen,  you  see 
this  man,  who  is  a  jail  bird  himself,  now  trying 
to  be  a  New  York  City  Parkhurst  on  a  small 
scale,  and  seeking  only  notoriety  and  his  own 
popularity."  "Mr.  Jones,"  he  said,  "you  will  in- 
58 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


form  the  court  why  you  were  sent  to  prison?" 
Turning  to  the  judge,  I  said :  "Your  honor,  who 
is  on  trial  here,  the  prisoner  or  H.  W.  Jones?" 
The  judge  replied:  ''The  prisoner;  but  I  think 
the  question  asked  you  is  in  order."  "Then,  your 
honor,"  I  replied,  "when  I  was  connected  with 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  I  was  chairman  of  the  prison 
work,  and  went  to  the  prison  every  Sunday  after- 
noon to  hold  meetings;  that  was  why  I  went  to 
jail."  The  lawyer  became  furious.  The  prose- 
cuting attorney,  before  I  took  the  stand,  said :  "If 
you  can  only  rattle  this  lawyer,  Mr.  Jones,  we 
have  our  case ;  he  will  undoubtedly  ask  you  mean 
and  contemptible  questions;  but  if  you  can  only 
keep  cool,  we  will  come  out  on  top."  So  I  knew 
what  I  was  doing  all  the  time  I  was  evading  his 
direct  question,  and  at  last  he  informed  me  that 
would  do.  Then  different  witnesses  took  the 
stand,  and,  after  a  thorough  examination,  the 
prosecution  was  finished.  And  at  three  o'clock 
that  afternoon,  a  verdict  of  guilty  was  brought  in, 
with  $138  fine  and  six  weeks'  imprisonment.  The 
case  was  appealed,  and  though  I  was  in  the  State 
nearly  a  year  after  that,  there  was  sufficient  in- 
fluence brought  to  bear  to  keep  it  out  of 
the  higher  courts,  so  I  don't  know  to  this  day 
what  became  of  the  case. 

After  the  first  case  was  finished,  the  other 
prisoner  was  tried,  and  in  a  very  short  time  he 

59 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


was  found  guilty  and  fined  $58  and  costs,  which 
he  paid  immediately. 

The  young  lawyer  made  a  statement  after  the 
trial  that  he  and  his  people  would  run  me  out  of 
the  town  in  less  than  three  months,  as  they  were 
all  members  of  my  church  excepting  the  uncle 
who  was  arrested.  I  told  him :  "Go  ahead  and  do 
your  best ;  I  am  only  doing  my  duty,  and  will  do 
it  to  the  end."  Instead  of  injuring  me  at  the 
church,  my  congregations  continued  to  grow ; 
there  were  a  number  of  additions  to  the  member- 
ship; and  everything  flourished  until  early  in 
June,  when  my  little  girl  was  taken  ill.  Her 
sickness  was  such  that  it  completely  wore  her 
mother  and  myself  out,  we  being  up  so  much 
with  her,  so  I  was  compelled,  on  the  sixth  of  July, 
to  close  my  ministry  with  this  people,  intending 
to  take  a  rest,  and  I  preached  my  farewell  ser- 
mon that  night,  and  the  following  Wednesday 
our  little  darling  passed  away.  Saturday,  when 
we  left  the  place,  a  white  hearse  led  the  way  for 
us,  bearing  the  remains  of  our  only  child.  We 
drove  to  Bridgeport,  where  we  took  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  cars  for  Wood- 
lawn  Cemetery,  New  York,  where  the  interment 
took  place.  I  committed  the  little  darling  to  the 
grave.  From  there  we  went  to  my  wife's  home 
in  New  York,  and  for  several  weeks  her  life  was 
despaired  of. 

60 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  VISIT  FROM  MY  SISTER. 

WHEN  our  little  one  died,  we  expected 
my  oldest  sister  to  arrive  from  Eng- 
land the  following  Saturday.  That 
was  the  reason  why  we  kept  her  little  body  so 
long;  but  late  on  Friday  night  I  received  a  tele- 
gram from  the  Cunard  Steamship  Company,  in- 
forming me  that,  in  all  probability,  the  steam- 
ship "Umbria"  would  not  reach  New  York  until 
late  on  Sunday  night,  or  early  Monday  morning. 
I  immediately  consulted  the  undertaker  as  to  the 
advisability  of  keeping  little  Mabel's  body  until 
Monday  afternoon,  as  my  sister  had  never  seen 
her,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  child  was 
fifteen  months  old  when  she  died.  He  strongly 
advised  me  not  to  do  it,  but  to  have  the  funeral, 
as  we  had  arranged,  on  Saturday,  so  we  did  as  he 
suggested.  When  I  arrived  at  New  York  Satur- 
day evening  with  Mrs.  Jones,  after  we  had  buried 
our  little  one,  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  learn  that 
the  "Umbria"  had  arrived.  I  immediately  went 
down  to  her  dock,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  my 
sister.  I  then  visited  the  hotels  where  she  would 
61 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


be  likely  to  go,  but  still  could  learn  nothing  of 
her.  I  gave  up  the  search  until  Sunday  morn- 
ing, when  I  visited  two  or  three  hotels,  with  the 
same  result  as  the  day  before — only  to  find  disap- 
pointment awaiting  me.  I  then  went  to  the  New 
York  Central  Baggage  Room,  thinking  I  might 
possibly  see  her  baggage  there.  It  not  being 
there,  I  went  over  to  the  New  York,  New  Haven 
&  Hartford  Baggage  Room,  and  the  first  thing  I 
saw  there  was  her  baggage.  The  next  question 
was,  What  had  become  of  Emma?  I  asked  the 
baggage  master  if  he  knew  anything  of  the  lady 
to  whom  these  trunks  belonged?  He  replied: 
"Yes,  sir,  she  has  gone  to  Stepney,  Conn.,  to  see 
her  brother."  I  said:  "Well,  sir,  I  am  that 
brother.  When  did  she  leave  here?"  He  an- 
swered: "On  the  three  o'clock  train  Saturday 
afternoon."  Then  I  knew  that  she  had  passed 
Woodlawn  Cemetery  while  I  was  conducting  the 
services  for  our  little  pet,  as  the  cars  had  to  pass 
there.  I  telegraphed  inquiring  about  her  to  Mr. 
A.  B.  Curtiss,  one  of  the  members  of  the  Stepney 
Baptist  Church,  who  was  a  very  prominent  mer- 
chant at  that  place.  I  received  an  answer  saying 
she  was  there,  and  would  return  to  New  York 
that  evening.  My  wife  and  I  met  her  at  the  sta- 
tion, and  it  was  a  very  sad  meeting  for  us,  for 
my  sister,  when  leaving  England,  had  not  even 
heard  that  our  child  was  seriously  ill. 
62 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


After  we  reached  the  home  of  my  wife's  people, 
she  commenced  relating  her  experiences  by  say- 
ing how  disappointed  she  was  at  not  finding  me 
at  the  dock  to  meet  her,  as  she  expected  I  would, 
on  the  arrival  of  the  ship,  and  that,  being  a 
stranger  in  New  York,  she  did  not  know  where  to 
go;  so  she  thought  the  best  thing  she  could  do 
was  to  go  to  Stepney,  as  there  she  would  be  sure 
to  find  me ;  but,  continuing,  said :  "You  can  im- 
agine my  disappointment  when  alighting  from  the 
cars  to  find  not  a  single  person  at  the  station.  I 
stood  there  for  some  time ;  and  at  last  Mr.  Curtiss 
came  up  and  very  politely  inquired  if  I  was  ex- 
pecting any  one.  I  replied :  'Yes,  I  expect  my 
brother,  the  Baptist  minister,  at  any  moment,  as 
I  telegraphed  him  before  leaving  New  York  that 
I  would  be  on  this  train/  He  replied:  'Well, 
madam,  I  am  sorry  to  inform  you  that  your 
brother  evidently  did  not  get  your  telegram,  as 
he  left  here  this  morning  with  Mrs.  Jones.  They 
took  their  little  baby  away  with  them.'  'That  is 
impossible,'  I  said,  'as  he  would  not  go  away  when 
he  knew  I  was  coming  to  visit  him.'  "  Mr.  Cur- 
tiss, realizing  that  she  was  not  aware  of  the  sad 
news,  informed  her  that  we  had  gone  away  to 
bury  our  little  child.  "Can  it  be  possible,"  she  said, 
"that  Harry's  baby  is  dead?"  "Yes,  Miss  Jones," 
he  replied,  "I  am  sorry  to  say  it  is;  and  Mrs. 
Jones  is  in  a  terrible  condition  over  her  sad  loss." 
63 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


That  ended  the  conversation  on  this  solemn 
subject  that  evening,  as  I  was  very  anxious  to  get 
Mrs.  Jones's  mind  away  from  her  trouble.  I  was 
so  glad  that  my  sister  had  come,  as  she  was  of 
the  greatest  assistance  when  going  around  to  var- 
ious places  of  interest  with  us,  trying,  as  she  did 
all  the  time,  to  divert  our  thoughts  from  the  past. 
The  time  arrived  for  her  to  leave  us,  and  we  felt 
very  sad.  Before  going  that  morning,  she  said : 
"Harry,  mother  sent  some  things  to  little  Mabel. 
What  shall  I  do  with  them?"  I  said:  "By  all 
means  leave  them."  Then  she  began  to  take  from 
her  trunk  first  the  little  slippers,  then  the  tiny 
dresses,  and  a  little  baby  hood,  which  actually 
caused  us  to  feel  we  were  burying  our  little  one 
again.  My  wife  picked  them  up  and  kissed  them, 
saying :  "Our  little  darling  will  never  wear  these 
things."  I  said  :  "No,  Anna ;  baby  has  no  need  of 
such.  She  has  been  plucked  as  a  tiny  lily  from 
our  little  garden,  and  has  been  transplanted  by 
the  Heavenly  Husbandman  into  that  garden 
where  death  and  sorrow  will  never  mar  her  hap- 
piness again.  She  is  clothed  now  in  the  pure, 
spotless  garments  of  the  Saviour,  who  is  the  same 
Christ  who,  when  on  earth,  picked  little  ones  up 
in  His  arms,  'put  His  hands  upon  them,  and 
blessed  them,'  and  He  has  picked  up  our  little 
darling  and  nestled  her  fondly  to  His  bosom,  and 
by  and  by  when  all  is  ended  here  for  us,  we  shall 
64 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


meet  her  again  in  His  kingdom."  After  this  con- 
versation, my  wife  seemed  to  feel  more  composed, 
but  it  was  several  weeks  before  she  was  herself 
again. 

Looking  back  to-day,  we  can  thank  God  that 
even  our  sorrows  have  been  a  blessing  to  us.  We 
both  feel,  when  called  upon  to  mourn  with  those 
who  have  been  bereaved  of  loved  ones,  that  we 
can  approach  them  in  a  different  spirit,  having 
passed  through  the  same  waters  that  they  are 
passing  through ;  and  we  can  see  how  everything 
in  our  lives,  even  our  sorrows,  have  been  the 
clipped-winged  messengers  of  God's  love.  My 
sister  left  us,  after  being  with  us  about  two  weeks, 
to  visit  our  relatives  at  Toronto,  Canada.  A  few 
weeks  after  her  departure,  my  youngest  sister, 
Bessie,  arrived  from  England,  remaining  with  us 
a  short  time,  when  she,  too,  left  us  to  visit  our 
people  in  Canada. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TWO  PECULIAR  WEDDINGS. 

AS  I  had  concluded  not  to  accept  a  call  to 
any  church  until  my  wife  had  thorough- 
ly recovered,  I  frequently  went  to 
churches  just  to  supply  their  pulpit  for  one  or 
two  Sundays.  The  church  at  Mariner's  Harbor, 
Staten  Island,  where  I  was  acquainted,  invited 
me  to  occupy  the  pulpit  during  the  month  of 
August,  when  their  pastor  was  away  on  his  va- 
cation. I  also  went  there  and  conducted  the 
prayer-meetings  on  Friday  evenings.  These 
meetings  were  exceedingly  helpful  to  me,  and 
though  only  with  this  church  a  brief  period,  I 
learned  to  love  them,  and  have  cherished  the 
kindliest  feelings  toward  them  ever  since.  Go- 
ing there  one  Friday  night,  I  told  Mrs.  Jones  I 
would  return  home  about  ten  o'clock.  I  was 
delayed,  so  did  not  return  until  1 1 :3O.  When 
I  reached  the  house,  I  was  surprised  to  see  it 
brightly  lighted  up,  as  there  was  nothing  going 
on  of  any  importance,  that  I  knew  of,  when  I 
left.  As  I  opened  the  door,  a  young  man  was 
standing  inside  of  the  room,  and,  with  a  most 
67 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 

peculiar  grin  and  broken  accent,  said,  laughing 
between  every  word:  "I  guess  you  know,  sir, 
what  I  want."  I  said:  "Oh,  yes,  I  can  surmise. 
I  presume  you  want  me  to  marry  you."  Continu- 
ing to  laugh,  he  said :  "Yes,  sir,  that  is  just  it."  I 
asked  him  if  he  had  waited  long.  He  said :  "No, 
we  got  here  about  seven  o'clock;  I  went  out  for 
half  an  hour  and  tried  to  get  another  minister, 
but  could  not  find  any,  so  I  came  back,  and  we 
decided  to  wait  for  you" — which  caused  me  to 
see  he  had  waited  about  four  hours.  I  filled  out 
the  license,  and  was  about  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony, when  he  said:  "Make  it  as  brief  as  you 
can,  please,  sir ;  we  are  in  a  hurry."  I  said :  "Oh, 
yes,  I  will."  So,  in  less  time  than  it  takes  me  to 
write  it,  I  pronounced  them  husband  and  wife. 
After  I  had  united  them  in  wedlock,  I  went  into 
the  study  and  brought  out  a  large  batch  of  certifi- 
cates, to  allow  them  to  select  the  one  they  liked 
best,  as  I  granted  this  privilege  to  all  couples  I 
married.  They  selected  the  best  certificate  I 
had — costing  me  one  dollar  and  eighty-three 
cents.  I  told  them  I  would  fill  it  out  and  they 
could  call  for  it  the  next  day.  The  groom  thanked 
me  and  said:  "Good-night,  sir;  I  am  much 
obliged  for  your  kindness.  I  left  an  envelope  on 
the  table  for  you — I  put  it  under  your  Bible."  I 
thanked  him  and  said :  "Good-night."  Naturally, 
the  first  thing  I  did  was  to  go  and  inspect  the 
68 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


envelope  to  see  what  was  in  it,  and,  to  my  amaze- 
ment, found  the  whole  sum  of  fifty  cents  enclosed. 
I  was  indignant;  so,  getting  a  certificate  that 
cost  about  five  cents,  I  filled  it  out  and  wrote  a 
letter  saying  that  the  certificate  they  had  selected 
having  cost  me  nearly  two  dollars,  I  could  not 
very  well  afford  to  let  them  have  it  for  so  small 
a  fee  as  they  had  given  me  for  marrying  them. 
I  enclosed  the  cheaper  certificate,  and  told  them 
that  if  they  wished  to  remit  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents,  I  would  forward  the  certificate  they  had 
selected;  but  I  heard  nothing  from  them,  so  I 
presume  the  cheaper  one  answered  every  purpose. 
A  few  days  later  I  went  down  to  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  Rooms,  23d  Street  and  Fourth  Avenue.  I 
visited  the  library  and,  as  I  was  coming  down 
from  there,  I  met  a  young  man  who  asked  me 
whether  I  was  a  minister  ?  I  said :  "Why  do  you 
wish  to  know  ?"  He  replied :  "Because  they  told 
me  in  the  office  there  was  a  minister  up  in  the 
library.  I  have  been  up  there  and,  not  seeing 
any  one,  thought  perhaps  you  were  the  one." 
"Well,  I  am  a  minister,"  I  replied.  "What  can 
I  do  for  you?"  He  said:  "Well,  sir,  I  have  a 
girl  around  the  corner  here  on  Fourth  Avenue 
I  want  to  be  married  to;  but  if  you  marry  me, 
you  will  have  to  be  quick  about  it,  for  her  brother 
is  on  his  way  from  Boston,  and  he  swears  he  will 
shoot  me  on  sight."  I  asked  him  why,  think- 
69 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ing  naturally  it  was  a  runaway  match.  He  said : 
"Well,  sir,  I  forged  a  certificate  which  went  to 
show  Dr.  Judson  had  married  us,  but  the  young 
lady's  brother  was  shrewd  enough  to  write  to 
the  minister  about  it,  and  he  replied  that  we  were 
not  married  by  him."  I  said:  "Then  come 
around  to  my  house  and  I  will  be  pleased  to  help 
you  do  what  is  right."  So,  going  there,  I  very 
soon  pronounced  them  husband  and  wife.  They 
agreed  to  come  for  their  certificate  the  next  day. 
I  filled  it  out,  and  left  word  that,  should  they 
come,  I  wanted  at  least  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
for  it.  I  did  not  care  about  the  fee,  but  as  the 
certificate  cost  me  that  much,  they  would  have 
to  pay  me  for  it.  Instead  of  the  young  man  com- 
ing for  the  certificate,  he  sent  his  wife.  She 
looked  at  it  and  then,  putting  it  up  the  sleeve  of 
her  jacket,  remarked  that  it  was  a  very  pretty 
certificate  and  that  "George  would  call  later  and 
pay  the  minister  for  it."  When  I  was  informed 
what  she  had  said  about  having  her  husband  call 
and  pay  for  it,  I  replied :  "I  guess  he  never  will." 
Several  months  passed,  and  still  I  heard  nothing 
from  them,  but  at  last  I  received  a  letter  from 
him,  enclosing  a  check  for  twenty-five  dollars. 
At  the  same  time  he  stated  that  he  and  his  wife 
were  doing  nicely,  went  on  to  congratulate  him- 
self for  having  found  so  charming  a  helpmate, 
and  thanked  me  for  the  way  I  had  helped  them. 
70 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AS  PASTOR  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH, 
ARLINGTON,  N.  J. 

THE  second  Sunday  in  September  of  the 
same  year,  I  received  an  invitation  to  go 
to  Arlington,  N.  J.,  and  supply  the  pul- 
pit of  the  First  Baptist  Church  there,  with  a  view 
of  accepting  a  call  to  the  pastorate.  I  went  and 
preached  for  them,  and  at  the  close  of  the  even- 
ing services  received  a  cordial  invitation  to  return 
there  the  following  Sunday,  which  I  did.  The 
first  week  in  November,  I  received  a  very  gratify- 
ing call  to  become  their  pastor,  and  accepted  it 
the  second  Sunday  of  that  month.  The  church 
was  then  meeting  in  a  building  which  had  been 
previously  used  as  a  gymnasium,  and  when  it  was 
offered  for  sale,  the  congregation  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  purchased  it  for  $1,800.  The 
Sunday  after  I  accepted  the  call  was  very  stormy. 
I  entered  the  pulpit  of  the  church  and,  looking 
down  the  long,  narrow  hall,  I  was  surprised  to 
hear  such  a  tremendous  noise  on  the  roof  caused 
by  the  rain.  I  gave  out  the  first  hymn,  but  people 
standing  at  the  rear  of  the  building  could  not  hear 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


me  preach,  so  I  left  the  pulpit  and,  walking  half 
way  down  the  aisle,  commenced  to  talk  just  as 
loud  as  my  lungs  would  permit.  I  embraced  the 
opportunity  under  most  favorable  conditions  of 
commencing  a  building  fund  for  the  erection  of 
a  new  church  edifice,  as  I  certainly  could  advocate 
the  necessity  of  such  a  step,  judging  from  the 
racket  on  the  roof.  My  congregation  admitted 
that  the  plan  was  a  good  one,  but  advised  strong- 
ly my  postponing  it  until  we  could  advertise  we 
were  going  to  do  it.  This  I  agreed  to,  announc- 
ing I  would  preach  a  sermon  on  Sunday,  Decem- 
ber 8th,  when  an  offering  would  be  taken  for  that 
purpose;  and  as  I  was  informed  that  this  dis- 
course proved  a  blessing  to  many,  I  insert  it  here, 
with  the  earnest  prayer  that  it  may  prove  helpful 
to  the  reader.  The  theme  was  "Removal,  and  its 
Responsibilities." 

"If  Thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry  us  not 
up  hence"  (Ex.  xxxiii.  15). 

This  is  a  prayer  which  has  been  used  hundreds 
of  times,  and  which  is  found  quite  appropriate 
for  almost  all  occasions.  Moses  was  in  the 
wilderness  when  he  offered  it,  and  about  to  lead 
the  children  of  Israel  into  Canaan,  the  land  that 
flowed  with  milk  and  honey ;  yet  he  felt  he  would 
sooner  put  up  with  the  inconveniences  of  tent  life 
in  the  wilderness,  so  long  as  God  was  with  him, 
than  to  enjoy  the  fatness  of  the  land  of  Canaan 
72 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


without  Him.  The  desert,  to  Moses,  through  the 
blessings  of  God,  had  become  like  a  garden;  he 
realized  that  all  the  gardens  and  vineyards  of 
Eshcol  would  avail  him  nothing,  should  God 
withdraw  His  presence  from  him.  All  through 
the  history  of  the  Church  Universal,  and  es- 
pecially this  Church,  there  have  been  times  when 
men  have  been  compelled  to  fall  upon  their  knees 
and  earnestly  offer  this  prayer.  We  can  imagine 
our  Puritan  fathers,  as  they  left  their  native  land 
to  come  here  to  seek  the  liberty  they  could  not 
find  at  home,  bowing  their  knees  before  they 
boarded  the  "Mayflower"  and  devoutly  crying: 
"If  Thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry  us  not  up 
hence." 

We  see  John  Bunyan,  whom  we  heard  of  at  Dr. 
Chambers's  lecture,  delivered  here  on  Tuesday 
night — after  twelve  years'  confinement  in  prison, 
he  had  become  almost  habituated  to  it— ere  he 
crossed  the  threshold,  when  the  time  of  his  im- 
prisonment was  over,  looking  upon  the  cold, 
damp  walls  of  the  prison  over  the  walls  at  Bed- 
ford, and  saying:  "If  Thy  presence  go  not  with 
me,  carry  us  not  up  hence."  Let  the  dreamer 
still  remain  in  his  dingy  cell,  with  his  God,  rather 
than  permit  him  to  go  out  into  the  world,  leaving 
his  Master  behind  him.  When  you  called  me  as 
your  pastor,  my  prayer  was,  "If  Thy  presence  go 
not  with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence."  When  you 
73 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


have  to  pass  through  any  of  the  great  changes  of 
life,  and  when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  you  are 
removed  from  one  community  to  another,  you 
may  well  look  up  to  God  in  prayer  and  say,  "If 
Thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry  us  not  up 
hence."  And  when  our  weary  pilgrimage  is 
over,  and  the  hour  has  come  for  us  to  die,  when 
we  stand  with  one  foot  on  our  mother  earth  and 
the  other  stepping  out  into  eternity,  when  we 
must  wade  through  the  Jordan  of  death,  leaving 
our  friends  behind  us,  what  prayer  would  be  more 
appropriate  than  this:  "If  Thy  presence  go  not 
with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence"?  To  go  any- 
where, or  to  do  anything  without  God  is  terrible ; 
but  dying  without  Christ  is  too  awful  for  me  to 
describe.  To  go  out  trembling  Into  the  cold 
waters  of  death  without  any  helper,  or  to  step 
out  into  the  darkness  without  the  kind,  gentle 
voice  saying:  "Fear  not;  my  rod  and  my  staff 
shall  comfort  thee,  and  I  am  with  thee,"  must  be 
awful  indeed. 

We  are  contemplating  the  advisability  of  for- 
saking this  building  and  erecting  a  more  suitable 
structure,  with  better  facilities  for  church  work ; 
still,  inadequate  as  this  building  is,  there  are  many 
hearts,  I  hope,  who  will  ever  cherish  the  mem- 
ories of  this  place,  because  Christ  has  often  been 
visibly  placed  before  them,  and,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  in  this  hall  they  were  born  again.  Though 
74 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


many  advantages  will,  we  hope,  follow  us  when 
we  shall  enter  upon  a  larger  and  more  public 
place  of  worship  on  Kearny  Avenue,  where  three 
times  as  many  people  will  have  the  opportunity 
of  listening  to  the  Word  of  God  as  can  listen 
here,  still  we  all  unite  in  prayer  and  earnestly  de- 
sire, "If  Thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry  us 
not  up  hence."  Here  we  will  remain,  unless 
Thou,  the  Shekinah  of  the  Highest,  will  accom- 
pany us  when  we  go,  and  permit  Thy  loving  coun- 
tenance to  ever  shine  upon  us  and  cause  us  to  be- 
hold Thy  glory.  Oh,  brethren,  pray,  not  only 
here  and  now,  but  in  the  home  at  your  family 
altar :  "If  Thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry  us 
not  up  hence." 

Now  let  us  try  and  ascertain  what  the  pres- 
ence of  God  really  means.  We  hope  to  erect 
a  church  of  architectural  beauty,  as  I  do 
not  believe  God's  house  should  be  any  meaner 
than  our  own ;  we  hope  to  have  many  luxuries 
provided  for  this  house,  for  the  greatest  riches  are 
not  too  good  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  our 
God.  Though  Kearny  Avenue  is  one  of  our  most 
fashionable  avenues,  it  is  not  our  intention  when 
over  there  to  court  the  wealthy  and  pass  the  needy 
by;  rather  we  hope  that  there  the  rich  and  the 
poor  will  congregate  together  on  one  level,  to 
worship  the  humble  though  mighty  Christ,  and 
give  reverence  to  His  holy  name. 
75 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


Our  building  may  be  the  grandest  that  was  ever 
erected,  its  very  walls  may  glisten  like  diamonds, 
still  it  will  be  a  gloomy  place  unless  God's  pres- 
ence is  with  us,  as  it  is  the  divine  presence  we 
need  to  complete  the  glory  of  His  house.  What 
is  it  that  dries  the  mourner's  eyes?  Nothing  but 
the  sight  of  Christ,  and  a  vision  of  that  glorious 
face  when  Christ  wept.  He  is  able,  He  is  willing 
to  bind  up  every  broken  heart.  And  if  we  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Baptist  Church  expect  to  be  a 
holy  people,  we  can  only  be  such  by  looking  at 
the  holy  face  of  Christ  and  endeavoring  to  be- 
come conformed  to  its  image.  Though  we  preach 
very  earnestly,  unless  Christ  is  held  up  in  every 
sermon,  men  will  not  become  Christlike,  as  His 
presence  is  the  most  essential  feature  to  enable 
us  to  grow  in  grace.  We  must  have  Christ,  or 
all  our  efforts  will  avail  us  nothing.  Oh,  I  feel 
the  need  of  Christ  more  now  than  ever  before,  as 
I  can  never  reach  men  for  Him  unless  I  have 
His  presence  always  with  me.  May  He  grant  us 
success,  and  if  we  enter  our  edifice,  which  we  ex- 
pect to  ere  long,  may  He  help  us  to  be  humble, 
and  may  our  doors  swing  wide  open  to  welcome 
the  vilest  of  the  vile;  and  if  perchance  a  drunk- 
ard wanders  in  among  us,  may  God  enable  him  to 
exchange  his  deadly  cup  for  the  cup  of  salvation, 
that  is  filled  with  the  water  of  life,  and  may  he 
drink  of  it  evermore.  We  shall  have  such  glori- 
76 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


ous  sights  as  these  if  His  presence  go  with  us; 
but  even  now,  dear  Father,  we  pray :  Unless  Thy 
presence  go  with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence. 

But  now  for  the  thought  innermost  in  our 
hearts :  we  want  to  move  from  this  building.  If 
God's  presence  accompanies  us,  shall  we  do  so?  I 
answer,  Yes,  by  all  means ;  we  must,  we  can,  we 
shall.  I  feel  this  place  is  not  a  suitable  place  for 
public  worship ;  I  feel  it  as  a  minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel ;  I  am  quite  sure  you  must  feel  it  as  a  people. 
See  last  Sabbath,  when  that  large  company  as- 
sembled here,  our  ventilation  was  very  poor,  so 
poor  that  one  or  two  fell  asleep;  I  do  not  blame 
them,  the  wonder  is  that  you  did  not  all  become 
drowsy.  We  hope  to  see  as  large  an  audience  at 
all  our  services  over  there,  for  we  are  going  to  a 
place  of  which  we  entertain  great  expectations. 
Here  on  Beach  Street  we  meet  a  handful  of  peo- 
ple, we  put  forth  great  efforts,  all  of  which  virtu- 
ally are  lost,  because  we  must  all  admit  we  are 
really  out  of  sight  here ;  therefore  we  are  anxious 
to  move  to  a  locality  where  the  Baptist  Church 
will  be  of  prominence,  where  we  shall  be  able  to 
accommodate  all  that  come  to  listen  to  God's 
Word,  many  of  whom  we  trust  will  be  converted. 
We  believe  over  there  our  young  men  will  enlist 
in  the  army  of  our  great  Commander  and  be  loyal 
soldiers  of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  but  we  are  draw- 
ing pleasing  pictures  which  will  never  be  realized 
77 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


unless  God's  presence  go  with  us.  When  we 
go  to  the  north  side,  we  go  to  a  place  of  great 
opportunities:  all  of  you  will  have  a  marvellous 
scope  of  work,  and  as  your  pastor  I  shall  have  a 
wider  door,  which  will  ever  be  open  before  me 
for  work  of  the  grandest  kind ;  but  your  greatest 
dread  and  fear  is  that  our  new  home  will  involve 
greater  responsibilities,  and  you  wonder  whether 
we  can  carry  them.  Man  is  weak,  and  of  his  own 
strength  must  fail.  I  reply:  We  cannot  carry 
them  any  more  than  we  can  carry  our  load  of  sin ; 
but  if  we  put  our  responsibilities  on  the  back  of 
our  Lord  and  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  hoping,  trust- 
ing, believing  that  He  will  help  us,  then  we  can. 
Over  there  our  church  will  be  in  the  most  promi- 
nent place  in  our  town ;  so  may  God  grant  that  we, 
as  its  members,  may  be  a  holy  people,  "a  city  set 
upon  a  hill."  God  has  done  great  things  for  us 
here  and  I  believe  He  is  going  to  do  greater 
things  still  in  our  new  edifice ;  but  our  watchword 
must  be  "Onward!"  God  will  not  allow  us  to 
sleep,  we  must  be  active,  and  if  we  follow  our 
great  Commander  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight, 
He  will  encourage  us  by  His  loving  voice  and 
bring  us  out  at  last  more  than  conquerors.  But 
even  now  we  pray,  oh,  God :  "If  Thy  presence  go 
not  with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence." 

And  should  God's  presence  go  with  us  we  can 
act  in  such  a  way  as  to  drive  Him  from  our  midst. 
78 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


As  soon  as  we  have  erected  our  new  house  of 
worship,  if  we  should  stand  inside  of  the  porch 
and  boast  of  the  house  we  have  built,  God  will 
leave  us  to  our  fate,  as  a  proud  heart  is  never 
God's  palace,  neither  a  proud  church  will  He 
honor.  And  if  we  become  dormant  we  can  easily 
drive  the  Spirit  away;  but  the  quickest  way  to 
drive  Him  out  is  by  disunion.  I  delight  in  the 
union  which  is  manifest  in  our  church  now,  as  far 
as  pastor  and  people  are  concerned,  and  as  Chris- 
tian men  and  women  we  should  always  be  willing 
to  bear  with  one  another's  infirmities — perhaps 
we  have  a  great  deal  to  put  up  with  from  one  an- 
other, as  there  is  always  some  one  to  give  and  take 
offence,  and  when  the  ship  is  sailing  in  smooth 
waters  you  will  find  the  devil  every  time  stowed 
away  aft  to  try  and  scuttle  her ;  and  he  would  have 
succeeded  long  ago,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that 
some  of  our  loyal  workers  have  been  ready  to 
stop  the  leakage,  and  by  their  loving  spirit  would 
not  allow  members  to  disagree.  If  any  of  you 
have  any  disagreements,  I  pray  you  settle  them, 
and  leave  them  here  behind  you.  Let  us  go  up 
into  our  new  building  a  loving  and  united  people, 
which  I  believe  you  will,  for  I  have  the  honor  of 
being  the  pastor  of  a  praying  people;  your 
prayer-meeting  is  the  gauge  of  the  church.  Oh, 
how  it  helps  me,  to  feel  my  people  are  praying 
for  me,  not  only  in  the  meetings  of  our  church, 
79 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


but  in  their  homes  also.  Pray,  brethren,  pray, 
for  more  faith,  and  for  the  strength  to  undertake 
great  things  and  to  expect  great  things  in  return ; 
and,  whatever  you  do,  be  humble,  be  patient 
toward  all  men ;  be  nothing,  and  then  you  will  be 
something.  For  God's  sake,  for  Christ's  sake,  for 
the  Church's  sake,  and  for  each  other's  sake,  let 
us  be  humble ;  and  above  all,  as  I  said  before,  let 
us  be  united.  You  remember  what  Paul  said :  "I 
beseech  Euodias  and  I  beseech  Syntyche  that  they 
be  of  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord."  They  were 
two  women,  and  some  women  will  quarrel.  But 
what  did  that  matter? — you  will  say.  It  matters 
a  great  deal  in  this  case,  for  they  were  members 
of  the  Church,  and  Paul  did  not  like  even  two 
women  who  were  members  of  the  same  church 
to  disagree.  What  shall  I,  your  pastor,  say  to  any 
two  male  members  of  this  church  who  are  not  at 
one  with  each  other?  Oh,  let  me  beseech  you  in 
God's  name,  do  not  dig  up  the  old  bodies  to  in- 
vestigate them,  for  by  so  doing  you  will  only  stir 
up  a  putrid  smell,  and  as  God  has  promised  to 
forgive  those  who  are  willing  to  forgive  one  an- 
other, I  beg  of  you,  bury  your  grievances.  Bury 
them,  bury  them,  bury  them  now!  Come,  my 
brother,  give  me  the  unspeakable  honor  of  com- 
mitting them  to  the  grave  of  forgetfulness  for 
you.  Are  you  willing?  Yes,  if  you  are  Christian 
men  I  know  you  are  only  too  willing.  Then 
80 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


bring  the  corpse  of  grievance  hither,  have  no 
name  plate  on  the  casket,  and  while  you  stand 
with  uncovered  hearts  at  the  grave  of  forgetful- 
ness,  it  is  by  the  help  of  God  accomplished.  Lis- 
ten to  the  committal:  Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to 
ashes — bury  them  deeply,  bury  them  beyond  the 
power  of  resurrection,  and  then  we  are  assured 
the  presence  of  God  will  go  with  us,  for  He  will 
go  with  a  united  people  every  time. 

Let  us  go  up  to  our  new  church  determined  to 
work.  Let  every  man  say :  "I  will  do  something." 
I  cannot  plead  with  you  as  earnestly  as  I  wish  to 
God  I  could  to-day,  but  I  know  you  are  as  anxious 
as  I  am  to  go  up  into  a  better  equipped  edifice,  and 
we  can  if  we  all  will  do  our  best.  To-day  I  am 
going  to  ask  you  to  deposit  what  you  can  in  God's 
great  savings  bank  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Arlington,  which  every  year  will  pay  a  dividend 
on  every  dollar  you  put  therein,  and  the  interest 
on  it  will  be  paid  in  the  salvation  of  precious 
souls.  God  help  those  of  you  who  can  deposit  a 
good  amount  to  do  so ;  and  those  who  cannot  de- 
posit a  large  sum,  deposit  what  you  can  in  this 
bank  of  safe  keeping  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  God 
will  bless  you  for  so  doing. 

After  I  had  preached  this  sermon,  the  first 
offering  was  taken  up,  and  $700  were  raised  for 
the  building  fund.    The  next  day  a  very  promi- 
81 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


nent  printer  of  our  town  spoke  to  me  of  the  ser- 
mon I  had  preached  the  day  before.  He  said : 
"Mr.  Jones,  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  your 
sermon  of  yesterday ;  and  if  your  people  can  sell 
5,000  copies  at  ten  cents  each,  I  will  print  them 
free  of  charge."  Accepting  his  most  generous 
offer,  we  got  out  the  sermon  in  pamphlet  form, 
the  first  page,  having  a  lithograph  of  myself, 
bearing  this  inscription: 

"Sermon  by  Pastor  H.  W.  Jones,  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  of  Arlington,  N.  J." 

"The  members  of  this  church  have  decided  to 
erect  a  new  house  of  worship  in  Arlington,  and 
in  view  of  this  fact,  on  Sunday,  December  8th, 
1895,  this  sermon  was  delivered,  after  which  an 
offering  was  taken  up  and  $700  were  raised  for 
the  Building  Fund.  As  it  touched  our  hearts  and 
pocket-books  so  powerfully,  we  have,  in  order  to 
raise  additional  money,  had  5,000  copies  printed, 
which  we  offer  to  our  friends  at  ten  cents  each, 
thus  making  our  pastor's  discourse  a  three-fold 
blessing." 

After  these  sermons  were  printed,  we  ap- 
pointed several  committees  from  among  our 
young  men,  who  went  with  me  to  the  different 
churches  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  where  I 
would  speak,  and  at  the  close  of  my  remarks 
would  announce  that  as  our  people  were  about  to 
build  a  new  church  edifice,  they  had  adopted  this 
82 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


plan  of  raising  money,  and  our  young  men  would 
be  at  the  doors  as  the  people  were  leaving  the 
church  and  would  be  glad  to  sell  them  a  sermon 
for  the  small  sum  of  ten  cents,  or  as  much  more 
as  they  saw  fit  to  give.  This  plan  worked  grand- 
ly, the  sermons  sold  anywhere  from  ten  cents  to 
$100  apiece — Miss  Peddie,  of  the  Peddie  Memor- 
ial Church  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  being  the  first  lady 
who  sent  a  check  of  $100  for  one.  We  found  the 
plan  working  so  well  we  were  greatly  encouraged, 
and  our  building  committee,  which  we  had  ap- 
pointed, decided  they  would  immediately  pur- 
chase a  new  site,  appointing  me  a  committee  of 
one  to  select  such  a  location  as  I  thought  best  for 
the  church.  The  next  day  I  found  a  place  which 
I  was  satisfied  would  be  the  best  situation  in  the 
town,  so,  calling  my  committee  together  again,  I 
consulted  with  them.  They  decided  that  the  site 
was  all  right,  and  requested  me  to  wait  on  Mr. 
Elsheimus,  the  owner  of  the  property,  and  see 
what  I  could  do  with  him.  I  saw  him,  and  in- 
formed him  that  we  wanted  three  lots,  with  the 
refusal  of  the  fourth,  for  the  erecting  of  a 
church  and  parsonage  thereon  for  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  the  church  to  be 
erected  immediately;  so  I  asked  him  to  give  me 
his  lowest  price  for  the  ground.  He  agreed  to 
sell  it  for  $1,200,  and  as  a  donation  would  give 
$300  toward  the  church  building.  We  accepted 
83 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


the  proposition,  and  in  less  than  a  month  the  lots 
were  ours.  Then  we  consulted  the  various  archi- 
tects, giving  them  an  idea  of  what  kind  of  build- 
ing we  wanted,  and  asked  them  to  furnish  us  with 
plans.  The  plans  of  Mr.  George  E.  Teets,  of 
Arlington,  met  with  great  satisfaction,  and  we  ac- 
cepted them.  Then  we  commenced  in  earnest  to 
raise  money  for  our  church  building  and  had 
wonderful  success  in  this  matter. 

When  going  to  Arlington,  I  found  there  were 
two  brothers  of  the  church  who  had  some  kind  of 
grievance  against  each  other  which  would  not 
allow  them  to  speak  one  to  the  other.  That  was 
why  I  made  special  reference  in  the  sermon  of 
December  8th  as  follows:  "What  shall  I,  your 
pastor,  say  to  any  two  male  members  of  this 
church  who  are  not  at  one  with  each  other?" 


84 


CHAPTER  X. 

BROTHERLY  LOVE. 

THE  first  week  of  January,  1896,  was  ob- 
served by  the  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
and  our  church  as  a  Week  of  Prayer, 
and  we  held  union  services  nightly,  alternating  in 
the  different  churches.  On  Thursday  night,  the 
Rev.  John  Hutchison,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  took  charge  of  the  meeting  in  his 
church,  but  I  made  the  address  on  the  subject  of 
"Brotherly  Love,"  pleading  with  the  people  to 
cultivate  love  and  charity  toward  all  men.  At  the 
close  of  my  remarks,  Mr.  Hutchison  called 

upon  Brother  ,   who  was  the  member  of 

our  church   that   was   not   on   speaking   terms 

with   Brother  ,   to  lead  us  in  prayer.    He 

offered  a  beautiful  petition,  asking  God  to  give 
to  all  men  that  love  for  their  brothers  that  Jesus 
Christ  had,  and  to  be  charitable  to  all.  As  he 
said  "Amen,"  I  could  not  restrain  the  impulse  of 
the  moment  to  jump  from  the  rostrum,  and, 
going  over  to  him,  took  him  by  the  hand  and  said : 
"Brother,  do  you  wish  God  to  answer  the  prayer 
you  have  just  made?"  "Why,  most  assuredly  I 
85 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


do,"  he  replied.  Then  I  said :  "You  do  your  part 
toward  answering  it,  then  God  will  do  His."  He 
said:  "I  don't  understand  you,  pastor."  I  re- 
plied: "Then  I  will  make  myself  plain;  I  want 
you  to  go  at  once  with  me  from  this  meeting  to 

the  house  of  Brother  ,  and  there  become 

friends  with  him."  He  said:  "Oh,  no,  I  cannot 
do  that."  Then  I  pleaded  with  him.  Tears  came 
into  his  eyes,  but  he  still  persisted  in  refusing  my 
request.  At  last  I  said :  "Brother,  then  don't  you 
hereafter  ever  dare  make  in  my  presence  such  a 
prayer  as  you  have  offered  here  to-night ;  if  you 
do,  I  shall  most  certainly  have  something  to  say — 
for  no  man  who  is  not  one  with  his  brother  has  a 
right  to  offer  such  a  prayer  as  the  one  you  have 
just  made."  Then  he  said:  "Pastor,  I  will  do  it; 
I  will  go  with  you  right  now."  "Now,"  I  an- 
swered, "you  are  talking  like  a  Christian  man." 
Getting  our  hats,  we  immediately  left  the  church, 

and  went  over  to  the  residence  of  Brother . 

After  arriving  there  we  found  the  brother  had 
just  returned  from  his  business  in  New  York.  I 

said:  "Brother ,  here  is  Brother  ,  who 

has  come  here  to  take  your  hand,  and  to  bury 
with  you  whatever  grievances  you  two  may  have 
had."  I  knew  all  the  time  he  had  been  only  too 
anxious  to  have  things  settled  between  him  and 
the  other  brother.  Extending  his  hand,  he  said : 
"I  am  delighted  to  see  you;  come  in."  Then, 
86 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


looking  at  his  friend,  he  said :  "We  have  not  acted 
at  all  right :  for  we  have  been  a  hindrance  in  keep- 
ing many  of  the  young  people  out  of  our  church, 
but  now  all  that  is  past;  and  as  we  have  freely 
forgiven  each  other,  so  let  us  pray  to  be  freely 
forgiven."  Then  I  suggested  that  we  all  kneel 
down  and  ask  God  to  bless  us  before  we  separated 
that  night.  Each  of  us  led  in  prayer,  and  when 
we  were  through,  I  arose  to  my  feet,  asking  the 
two  brothers  to  remain  kneeling  and  join  right 
hands.  And  in  that  position,  I  put  my  hand  on 
theirs  as  I  would  with  a  couple  I  was  uniting  in 
marriage  and  said :  "Now,  what  God  hath  joined 
together,  let  not  Satan  ever  put  asunder." 

From  that  time  on,  they  became  the  closest 
friends;  and  the  brother  to  whom  I  had  spoken 
in  the  church,  after  a  little  while  was  received 
back  as  a  deacon  in  our  church,  where  he  is  to- 
day united  with  his  people;  and  the  only  reason 
that  he  had  withdrawn  from  them  was  on  ac- 
count of  this  misunderstanding  he  had  with 

Brother  ,  who  also  was  a  deacon  of  the 

church ;  and  the  most  singular  thing  of  the  case 
was  that  neither  knew  the  reason  why  their 
friendship  had  been  severed. 


CHAPTER  XL 

MY  DREAM,  AND  NEWS  FROM  WASHINGTON. 

WE  held  a  meeting  of  our  Building 
Committee  at  the  church  on  a 
Friday  night  in  the  latter  part  of 
March,  1896,  which  detained  us  there  until  nearly 
midnight.  The  reason  we  were  so  long  in  ses- 
sion was  owing  to  the  fact  that  we  were  perfect- 
ing the  plans  for  our  new  building,  and  a  great 
deal  of  detail  work  had  to  be  entered  into.  When 
I  reached  the  parsonage,  I  was  exceedingly  tired, 
having  been  about  the  greater  part  of  the  day, 
seeking  funds  for  the  church  from  one  source 
and  another.  So,  soon  after  I  retired,  I  was 
sound  asleep.  In  the  morning,  when  I  came 
down  to  breakfast,  I  said  to  Mrs.  Jones :  "I  have 
had  the  most  singular  dream  I  ever  had  in  my 
life;  I  cannot  understand  it,  nor  can  I  imagine 
what  it  means."  She  looked  horrified,  and 
asked  me  if  I  really  meant  to  infer  that  I  was  get- 
ting superstitious.  I  replied:  "Of  course  not; 
but  I  will  admit  I  cannot  help  thinking  of  it." 
She  then  asked  me  to  relate  it,  which  I  did,  as 
follows:  "About  two  years  ago  a  number  of  my 
89 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


friends,  ministers  and  others,  gave  me  a  tre- 
mendous basket,  filled  to  the  brim  with  eggs. 
Having  no  use  for  them  at  the  time,  I  put  them 
up  on  a  very  high  shelf,  and  you,  in  the  dream, 
asked  me  what  I  had  done  with  those  eggs  that 
were  given  to  me  so  long  ago.  I  told  you,  and 
you  requested  me  to  get  one  from  the  basket.  I 
secured  a  step  ladder,  and,  mounting  it,  put  my 
hand  in  the  basket;  and,  instead  of  getting  hold 
of  an  egg,  my  hand  grasped  a  little  mite  of  a 
chicken.  So,  taking  the  basket  down  and  in- 
specting it,  I  found  that  all  the  eggs  were  hatched 
and  the  chickens  were  there  on  top  of  each  other, 
just  as  the  eggs  were."  She  laughed  heartily, 
and  said:  "It  certainly  is  peculiar,  but  I  would 
not  take  any  notice  of  it."  I  told  her  I  did  not  in- 
tend to,  and  our  conversation  drifted  to  other 
subjects. 

I  left  the  house  about  ten  o'clock  and  went 
down  to  the  post-office,  and,  unlocking  my  letter 
box,  I  found  this  letter: 

NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

March  26th,  1896. 

REV.  HARRY  W.  JONES,  STEPNEY,  CONN. 
Dear  Sir: 

Referring  to  your  application,  dated  August 
3Oth,  1894,  for  the  position  of  Chaplain  in  the 
United  States  Navy,  please  inform  me  whether 
90 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


you  still  desire  this  position.  If  you  do,  it  is  nec- 
essary that  you  should  send  to  the  Department 
some  recommendations  from  your  immediate 
ecclesiastical  superiors,  as  to  your  fitness  for  the 
position. 

Very  respectfully, 

W.  McADOO, 
Acting  Secretary. 

I  looked  at  the  envelope  and  then  looked  at  the 
letter.  The  Rev.  George  Thomas,  of  North  New- 
ark, was  with  me.  I  handed  him  the  letter.  He 
said:  "That  certainly  looks  encouraging."  I  in- 
vited him  to  take  a  walk  up  to  the  house  with  me 
and  I  would  attend  to  the  matter  he  wished  me  to 
that  day.  As  I  opened  the  door,  I  called  out  to 
my  wife;  she,  answering,  said:  "What  is  it?"  I 
replied :  "The  eggs  are  hatched."  She  answered : 
"What  do  you  mean?"  I  said:  "Never  mind; 
those  eggs  are  hatched."  Then  she  began  to 
scold  me  for  teasing  her  and  requested  me  to  tell 
her  what  I  meant.  So  I  handed  her  the  letter. 
She  glanced  at  it,  and  then  said :  "I  will  not  allow 
you  to  take  that  position."  I  said:  "Why  not?" 
"Well,  we  are  doing  nicely  in  our  church  work, 
and  if  you  go  into  the  Navy,  it  will  take  you  away 
from  home."  "That  is  the  old  story  gone  over 
again,"  I  said.  "I  will  give  you  until  noon,  when 
I  want  your  frank  opinion."  So  Mr.  Thomas 
91 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


and  I  left  the  house.  I  returned  at  the  hour 
agreed  upon,  and  found  my  wife  all  smiles.  The 
thought  suggested  itself  to  me:  "She  is  deter- 
mined to  persuade  me  not  to  enter  the  Navy,  and 
thinks  she  is  going  to  succeed."  So  I  said: 
"Anna,  what  is  your  decision  ?"  Looking  at  me, 
she  said :  "If  God  wants  you  in  the  Navy,  I  will 
never  stand  in  your  way."  I  said :  "That's  right ; 
that  is  the  proper  way  to  talk.  Now  I  will  tele- 
graph that  I  am  open  for  the  appointment."  And 
then,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  she  said :  "But  sup- 
pose we  should  have  a  war !"  I,  laughing  at  her, 
said :  "War — don't  think  of  it,  the  United  States 
will  never  go  to  war."  "Well,  I  hope  not,"  she 
said.  As  my  communication  had  been  forwarded 
me  from  Stepney,  I  did  not  know  whether  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  me  to  telegraph  from 
there  or  from  Arlington ;  and  as  I  was  going  to 
New  York  that  afternoon,  I  went  to  the  Astor 
House  and  sent  this  message : 

ARLINGTON,  N.  J. 

W.  McAooo,  ACTING  SECRETARY,  NAVY  DEPART- 
MENT, WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 
Sir: 

Your  communication  just  received.    Am  open 
for  the  position  of  Chaplain  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  but  regret  very  much  to  state  it  is  impos- 
92 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


sible  for  me,  a  Baptist,  to  be  appointed  as  such, 
when  I  am  required  to  send  the  endorsements  of 
my  immediate  ecclesiastical  superiors,  there  being 
no  such  heads  in  our  denomination.  What  fur- 
ther can  I  do  ? 

Respectfully, 

HARRY  W.  JONES. 

I  received  an  answer  telling  me  to  come  to 
Washington  the  following  Tuesday  for  the  pur- 
pose of  meeting  the  President  and  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy.  I  arrived  in  Washington  the  first 
of  April.  Going  to  the  Department,  I  first  met 
Mr.  McAdoo,  who  then  introduced  me  to  the 
Secretary.  The  Secretary  took  me  over  to  the 
Mansion  to  meet  the  President.  I  waited  outside 
the  President's  room,  while  the  Secretary  went  in 
to  inform  him  of  my  arrival.  At  last  I  was  an- 
nounced, so,  going  in  before  the  President,  he 
extended  his  hand  to  me,  as  the  Secretary  intro- 
duced me,  greeted  me  very  cordially,  and  said: 
"Mr.  Jones,  the  Secretary  and  myself  spent  a 
great  deal  of  time  going  over  the  list  of  applicants 
for  the  position  of  Chaplain  in  the  Navy,  and  we 
have  selected  you,  and  have  asked  you  to  come 
here  so  we  could  see  what  kind  of  a  man  you 
were ;  of  that  we  had  little  doubt,  as  I  am  pleased 
to  tell  you  that  wherever  we  have  heard  of  you  as 
a  pastor,  it  is  with  the  highest  endorsement  of 
93 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


your  method  of  reaching  and  helping  young  men ; 
and  as  this  will  be,  in  all  probability,  the  last 
Chaplain  I  shall  create,  I  am  very  anxious  to  make 
no  mistake  in  the  appointment.  What  is  wanted 
in  the  Chaplain  is  that  he  be  a  man  who  cannot 
countenance  conceit,  a  man  that  will  be  simple  in 
all  his  doings,  and  a  man  who  will  be  a  man 
among  men  of  the  Navy;  and  I  am  exceedingly 
anxious  the  Chaplain  that  I  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  nominating  will  be  a  man  that  will  be 
a  friend  to  those  poor  fellows,  deprived  as  they 
are  of  mother's  influence  and  home  comforts,  and 
not  simply  a  ward-room  figure-head." 

And  then,  looking  at  me,  he  said :  "Mr.  Jones, 
your  last  communication  came  from  New  Jersey." 
I  said:  "Yes,  sir,  it  did."  "Your  application, 
however,  was  made  from  Connecticut."  I  said: 
"Yes,  sir,  it  was."  He  then  asked  me  whether 
Connecticut  was  my  native  State  ?  I  said :  "It  is 
not,  sir."  Further  questioning  me,  he  said : 
"Which  state  is,  then?"  I  replied:  "Well,  Mr. 
President,  I  was  born  in  England;  I  could  not 
help  it,  however — my  parents  did  not  consult  me 
in  the  matter,  so  I  had  to  be  born  where  they  saw 
fit ;  but  if  I  had  my  way,  I  would  have  been  born 
in  America."  "Well,  you  are  naturalized,  I  pre- 
sume," he  said.  I  said :  "Yes,  sir,  I  have  been  for 
several  years."  Then  he  said :  "That  is  all  right." 
He  then  asked  me  whether  I  was  a  Democrat  ?  I 
94 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


said :  "No,  sir,  I  am  not ;  but  I  assure  you  I  am 
not  a  Prohibitionist."  He  said:  "Well,  it  does 
not  matter  what  you  are,  as  a  Chaplain  in  the 
Navy,  as  politics  will  never  enter  into  that  ap- 
pointment ;  but  we  find  it  will  be  necessary,  as  you 
have  left  the  State  of  Connecticut,  where  your  ap- 
plication was  filed,  and  now  being  in  another 
State,  for  you  to  send  an  endorsement  from  the 
church  you  are  now  pastor  of,  and  such  other  en- 
dorsements as  you  may  secure  that  will  help  you 
in  securing  the  appointment.  I  think  I  shall 
appoint  you,"  he  went  on  to  say;  "but  do  not  be 
too  positive,  as  there  are  hundreds  of  applications 
for  this  one  vacancy."  Then,  extending  his  hand, 
he  said:  "Good  day."  I  said:  "Good  day,  Mr. 
President ;  I  am  pleased  to  have  had  the  honor  of 
meeting  you,  sir,  and  will  say,  before  parting,  if 
I  am  honored  with  the  appointment,  I  will  strive 
to  do  my  whole  duty  to  my  God,  my  country,  and 
the  men  of  the  Navy,  believing  if  God  wants  me  in 
the  Navy,  I  shall  be  there,  whether  the  President 
of  the  United  States  wants  me  there  or  not." 
Then,  in  a  very  gruff  manner,  he  said:  "Very 
well,  sir,  good  day."  And  from  the  way  he  said 
it,  when  I  left  the  room,  I  thought  to  myself,  Evi- 
dently God  does  not  want  me  in  the  Navy — as  I 
felt  I  had  offended  him.  Nevertheless,  on  return- 
ing home,  I  secured  and  forwarded  the  following 
recommendations : 

95 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


NEWARK,  N.  J., 
February  i^th,  1896. 

To  THE  HONORABLE,  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 
NAVY. 

My  Dear  Sir: 

I  have  just  learned  that  the  Rev.  Harry  W. 
Jones  is  considered  for  an  appointment  in  the 
Corps  of  Navy  Chaplains,  and  hasten  to  add  a 
word  to  the  endorsement  he  has  already  filed. 

Mr.  Jones  is  our  near  neighbor  in  the  town  of 
Arlington,  where  he  has  already  accomplished  a 
magnificent  work  and  endeared  himself  to  the 
whole  community.  His  simple,  evangelical  piety 
has  given  him  a  remarkable  hold  on  all  classes. 
As  a  worker  among  men  he  indicates  marked 
ability.  I  can  think  of  no  one  who  would  more 
conscientiously  enter  upon  religious  work  among 
seamen,  with  wisdom  to  meet  its  great  difficul- 
ties and  patience  to  compass  its  noble  ends. 

Since  the  idea  has  long  seemed  to  Mr.  Jones  a 
direct  call  of  God,  and  to  his  brethren  generally 
a  fitting  one,  I  shall  wait  with  earnest  hope  to 
hear  of  his  appointment.  I  am,  my  dear  sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

CHAS.  HASTINGS  DODD, 
Pastor  First  Baptist  Peddie  Memorial  Church. 


96 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


ARLINGTON,  N.  J., 

April  4th,  1896. 
To  THE  HONORABLE,  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Sir: 

Having  learned  that  our  pastor,  the  Rev.  Harry 
W.  Jones,  is  considered  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the 
Corps  of  Navy  Chaplains,  it  was  resolved  at  our 
regular  monthly  meeting,  held  at  our  church  on 
the  evening  of  April  3d,  1896,  that  we,  as  a 
church,  do  most  heartily  recommend  him  as  a 
man  of  noble  Christian  character,  an  earnest  and 
faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel,  one  who  has, 
since  coming  to  us,  exerted  a  great  influence  over 
young  men;  and  we  do  hereby  authorize  our 
board  of  deacons  and  church  clerk  to  endorse  him 
as  a  man  possessing  all  the  qualities  which  emi- 
nently fit  him  for  the  position  for  which  he  ap- 
plies. 

We  shall  feel  his  loss  deeply,  still  we  shall  be 
glad  to  learn  that  he  has  received  the  appoint- 
ment. 

CORNELIUS  B.  VAN  DYKE, 
CHAS.  N.  BEEKMAN, 

E.  A.  HOAGLAND, 

Board  of  Deacons. 
E.  R.  DOWNING, 

Clerk  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Arlington, 
N.J. 

97 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  ARLINGTON,  N.  J., 

Thursday,  April  2d,  1896. 
To  THE  HONORABLE,  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Sir:     . 

The  pastor,  officers,  church  and  congregation 
by  a  unanimous  vote  endorse  the  application  of 
the  Rev.  H.  W.  Jones  for  a  place  in  the  Corps  of 
the  Navy  Chaplains  in  the  following  terms : 

We  recognize  in  Mr.  Jones  a  man  of  sturdy 
piety,  a  preacher  of  force  and  eloquence,  a  pastor 
faithful  and  devoted;  we  believe  him  to  be  well 
fitted  to  deal  with  men  in  the  position  for  which 
he  is  nominated. 

This  is  the  action  of  a  church  and  congregation 
numbering  five  hundred. 

Yours  respectfully, 

JOHN  HUTCHISON, 

Pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Arlington,  N.  J. 

ARLINGTON,  N.  J., 

April  4th,  1896. 
To  THE  HONORABLE,  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Sir: 

I  have  learned  with  pleasure  that  the  applica- 
tion of  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Jones,  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Arlington,  N.  J.,  for  the  posi- 
tion of  Chaplain  in  the  United  States  Navy,  is 
98 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


now  before  you  for  consideration,  and  I  desire  to 
add  my  testimony  to  those  that  you  have  already 
received  certifying  to  the  sterling  integrity,  hon- 
esty of  purpose  and  general  fitness  for  a  position 
such  as  Mr.  Jones  desires  in  the  application  that 
has  been  made. 

As  pastor  of  the  Arlington  Church,  Mr.  Jones 
has  shown  his  ability,  and  it  has  been  particu- 
larly pleasing  to  me  to  note  the  success  he  has 
had,  particularly  among  men. 

I  feel  that  if  he  is  appointed  he  will  fill  with 
credit  the  position  and  also  be  able  to  exert  a 
wonderful  influence  for  good  among  the  men  that 
will  be  given  into  his  charge. 

I  certainly  shall  be  very  pleased  to  know  that 
the  appointment  has  been  awarded  to  him. 
Yours  truly, 

T.  R.  CORNWALL, 

President  Board  Trustees,  First  Baptist 
Church,  Arlington,  N.  J. 

It  is  also  a  pleasure  to  have  attached  hereto  the 
signatures  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  who  have  all  expressed  a  desire 
to  second  the  application  that  has  been  made ;  and 
in  our  official  capacity  our  endorsement  of  the 
Rev.  H.  W.  Jones  is  attached  hereto. 

E.  A.  HOAGLAND, 
RICHARD  MORRISON, 
W.  H.  LATHAM, 
\  E.  T.  FANNING. 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  NEWARK,  N.  J., 

April  6th,  1896. 
To  THE  HONORABLE,  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY. 
Sir: 

At  the  regular  monthly  session  of  the  Baptist 
Ministers'  Association  of  Newark  and  vicinity, 
held  this  6tH"  day  of  April,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  passed : 

Resolved:  That,  having  learned  that  the  Rev. 
Harry  W.  Jones,  a  member  of  this  Association, 
is  now  before  the  Department  of  the  Navy  for 
the  appointment  as  a  Chaplain  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  we,  the  members  of  this  Associa- 
tion, most  heartily  and  voluntarily  testify  to  his 
high  standing  as  a  man  and  as  a  minister,  and  to 
his  eminent  fitness,  in  our  judgment,  for  such  a 
post.  We  know  him  to  be  an  earnest,  practical 
man,  eminently  qualified  to  work  with  men  of  all 
ranks  and  devoted  to  the  good  of  his  fellow-men. 

Resolved:  That  the  President  and  Secretary  be 
empowered  to  sign  these  resolutions,  and  that 
they  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones 
to  be  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

F.  C.  A.  JONES, 

President  Baptist  Ministers'  Association  of 
Newark  and  vicinity. 

R.  M.  LUTHER, 

Secretary  Baptist  Ministers'  Association  of 
Newark  and  vicinity. 

ICO 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  CLOSE  OF  MY  MINISTRY  ON  SHORE. 

HAVING  sent  in  the  various  endorsements 
to   Washington,   time   passed,   yet   no 
news  from  the  Navy  Department.    At 
last  I  began  to  think  I  was  again  to  experience 
disappointment  in  not  being  appointed,  but  on  the 
twenty-third  day  of  May  I  received  this  letter: 

NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

May  22d,  1896. 

REV.  HARRY  W.  JONES,  ARLINGTON,  N.  J. 
Sir: 

Having  been  selected  for  appointment  as  a 
Chaplain  in  the  U.  S.  Navy,  you  are  hereby  au- 
thorized to  report  to  the  Commandant  of  the 
Navy  Yard,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  for  the  physical 
examination  preliminary  to  appointment  required 
by  the  U.  S.  Navy  Regulations. 

Very  respectfully, 

W.  McADOO, 
Acting  Secretary. 

Accordingly,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  that  month, 
I  reported  to  Commodore  M.  Sicard,  U.  S.  Navy, 
101 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


who  was  then  Commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard. 
He  referred  me  to  Medical  Director  C.  H.  White, 
U.  S.  Navy,  President  of  the  Board  that  was  to 
examine  me.  I  was  requested  to  go  into  an  ante- 
room and  prepare  for  the  physical  examination. 
Just  as  the  twelve  o'clock  whistles  blew,  four 
officers  in  full  dress  uniform  came  in,  they  being 
four  surgeons  of  the  Navy,  who  constituted  the 
Board.  They  commenced  the  examination;  and 
at  five  minutes  after  one  they  left  the  room  and 
told  me  to  prepare  for  the  eye-sight  test.  Leaving 
that  room,  I  entered  another  and  went  through 
that  part  of  the  examination ;  and  after  they  had 
found  my  eye-sight  satisfactory,  they  all  ad- 
journed, and  told  me  I  could  get  ready  to  leave  the 
laboratory.  At  five  minutes  of  two  the  Board 
came  back,  and  the  President  of  it,  extending  his 
hand,  said:  "Well,  Chaplain — as  you  will  be  a 
Chaplain  in  a  very  few  days — I  have  to  congratu- 
late you ;  you  have  qualified,  and  can  expect  your 
commission  very  soon  after  our  report  goes  in." 
I  said :  "Well,  gentlemen,  I  thank  you,  and  shall 
leave  here  to-day  believing  I  have  a  new  lease  of 
life  after  the  overhauling  you  have  given  me."  I 
then  returned  to  Arlington. 

On  the  evening  of  the  sixth  of  June,  Postmaster 
Stewart,  of  that  place,  called  at  the  parsonage. 
Extending  his  hand  to  me,  he  said :  "Good-even- 
ing, Chaplain  Jones."     I  said:  "Good-evening, 
102 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Mr.  Stewart ;  but  you  are  a  little  premature."  He 
said:  "Oh,  no,  I  am  not,"  and  handed  me  the 
Evening  News,  a  Newark,  New  Jersey,  paper, 
saying:  "Read  this,"  as  he  pointed  to  the  notice 
of  my  appointment.  On  the  thirteenth  day  of 
June  I  received  the  following  communication : 

DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  NAVY,  BUREAU  OF  NAVIGA- 
TION, WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

June  J2th,  1896. 

CHAPLAIN  HARRY  W.  JONES,  U.  S.  N.,  ARLING- 
TON, N.  J. 
Sir: 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  having 
appointed  you  a  Chaplain  in  the  Navy,  on  the  act- 
ive list  from  the  sixth  day  of  June,  1896,  I  have 
the  pleasure  to  enclose  herewith  your  commission, 
dated  the  ninth  instant.  Please  acknowledge  re- 
ceipt. 

Respectfully, 
J.  M.  RAMSAY, 
Chief  of  Bureau. 

This  was  the  first  communication  I  had  re- 
ceived addressed  to  me  as  Chaplain  of  the  U.  S. 
Navy. 

Having  been  informed  of  my  appointment,  I 
had  the  sad  duty  of  reading  the  following,  my 
resignation  to  my  church : 
103 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


STUDY  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  ARLING- 
TON, N.  J., 

June  ifth,  1896. 

To  THE  BOARD  OF  DEACONS,  OFFICERS  AND  MEM- 
BERS OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  AR- 
LINGTON, N.  J. 
My  Dear  Brethren: 

A  year  has  almost  passed  since  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  first  addressing  you  as  a  church,  and  seven 
months  next  Sunday  have  passed  since  I  accepted 
your  call  to  become  your  pastor.  As  I  look  back 
over  the  brief  period  of  my  pastorate,  I  am  com- 
pelled to  say,  Surely  God  has  been  good  to  us,  as 
He  has  showered  blessings  upon  us  all  along  the 
way,  and  my  heart  is  filled  with  gratitude  to  Him 
for  all  that  He  has  done.  Especially  do  I  thank 
Him  for  the  love  and  unity  He  has  permitted  to 
remain  in  our  midst,  as  from  the  very  commence- 
ment of  my  ministry  in  Arlington  the  hearts  of 
the  people  and  pastor  have  been  closely  knit  to- 
gether. 

It  appeared  as  though  we  would  be  allowed  to 
labor  together  for  some  time  to  come ;  but  God,  in 
His  all-wise  Providence,  has  willed  it  otherwise, 
so  that  to-night  I  have  the  painful  necessity  of 
aying  that  our  most  happy  and  cordial  relation- 
ship must  soon  be  severed,  I  having  been  ap- 
pointed a  Chaplain  of  the  United  States  Navy,  a 
position  I  have  long  desired  and  often  prayed  for. 
104 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Recognizing  the  hand  of  God  in  the  appoint- 
ment, I  feel  called  upon  to  tender  you  my  resig- 
nation, to  take  effect  July  I5th,  1896.  In  doing 
so,  permit  me  to  most  heartily  thank  you,  one  and 
all,  for  your  co-operation  so  freely  given  -in  all 
things  that  I  have  advanced  for  the  good  of  the 
church ;  and  my  prayer  is  that  God  will  continue 
to  smile  upon  you ;  and  may  He  grant  to  send  an 
under-shepherd  to  you,  one  that  will  lead  you  in- 
to pastures  green  and  feed  you  constantly  with  the 
manna  of  Heaven,  and  build  you  up  into  a  strong 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Yours  for  the  good  of  the  cause, 

Your  loving  Pastor, 
H.  W.  JONES. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fifteenth  of  June,  having 
received  my  commission,  I  went  to  the  residence 
of  Judge  M.  M.  Forrest,  a  gentleman  of  high  es- 
teem in  our  community,  and  a  very  dear  friend  of 
mine,  as  I  would  rather  have  him  than  any  other 
person  administer  the  oath  of  office  to  me,  and 
found  he  was  just  as  pleased  to  do  it  as  I  was  to 
have  him. 

My  friends  immediately  took  steps  to  give  me 
a  banquet  in  New  York  and  it  was  tendered  me  at 
the  Hotel  Bartholdi,  23d  Street  and  Broadway, 
on  the  evening  of  June  3Oth,  in  honor  of  my  ap- 
pointment. A  very  enjoyable  evening  was  spent 
105 


there,  and  though  there  were  sixty-nine  gentle- 
men present,  it  is  very  gratifying  for  me  to  state 
that  not  a  drop  of  intoxicating  liquor  was  drunk, 
nor  even  asked  for,  throughout  the  evening.  The 
toasts  were  as  follows,  but  were  more  in  the  style 
of  addresses  than  anything  else : 

TOAST  MASTER  ....  Michael  M.  Forrest. 
With  Eulogy  of  Chaplain  Jones. 

RESPONSE Rev.  Harry  W.  Jones. 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Hon.  Joseph  P.  Mullin. 

"OuR  COUNTRY" Wm.  J.  Gorsuch. 

THE  NAVY Joseph  Parker,  Jr. 

CONNECTICUT 

Rev.  Geo.  W.  Nicholson. 
NEW  JERSEY Michael  M.  Forrest. 

Late  that  evening,  we  returned  to  Arlington  by 
a  special  trolley  car  from  Jersey  City.  As  we 
were  nearing  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  an  old  lady, 
taking  our  car  to  be  a  regular  passenger  car, 
boarded  it,  with  a  tremendous  watermelon  in  her 
hand.  One  of  our  company,  a  good-natured  fel- 
low, assisted  her  in  getting  on  the  car,  taking  the 
watermelon  from  her,  then  very  politely  gave  her 
his  seat.  Holding  up  the  watermelon  as  high  as 
he  could,  addressing  our  party,  he  said :  "Gentle- 
men, what  is  the  pleasure  of  this  august  assem- 
blage regarding  the  disposal  of  this  magnificent 
106 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


watermelon?"  One  of  the  company  shouted  out, 
"I  move  it  be  cut  up  and  distributed."  Then  the 
one  with  the  watermelon  said:  "Is  there  a 
seconder  to  that  motion?"  And  one  of  the  com- 
pany shouted,  "I  will  second  it."  Tr?e  vote  was 
taken  and  unanimously  carried.  Then  he,  smiling, 
said :  "If  the  gentleman  who  made  the  motion  will 
kindly  come  forward  and  cut  the  melon,  the  vote 
will  be  carried  out."  He  never  came.  The  old 
lady  all  that  time  sat  there  looking  in  amazement 
at  us,  when  he  turned  to  her  and  said :  "Madam, 
allow  me  to  present  you  with  this  beautiful  water- 
melon, which  I  really  thought  you  had  brought  as 
a  present  for  us." 

I  preached  for  my  church  from  Sunday  to  Sun- 
day until  the  time  of  the  expiration  of  my  resig- 
nation, and  sweet  indeed  were  those  closing  days 
of  my  ministry  ashore,  and  many  times  do  I  look 
back  and  recall  them.  Not  that  I  would  have 
them  return  to  me,  but  simply  as  a  sweet  memory 
of  the  past. 


107 


^     1 

W      3 

jz;    to 


O      •£ 

£    £ 


PART  II. 

THE    EXPERIENCES    OF  A 

CHAPLAIN  ASHORE 

AND  AFLOAT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FIRST  ORDERS  TO  DUTY. 

ON  the  thirtieth  day  of  July,  1896,  I  re- 
ceived orders  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  to  proceed  to  Newport,  R.  L,  and 
report  to  the  Commandant  of  the  Naval  Training 
Station  there  for  duty  on  the  U.  S.  T.  S.  "Con- 
stellation," and  for  such  other  duty  as  might  be 
assigned  me.  Accordingly  I  reported  on  the 
third  day  of  August  and  was  met  very  cordially 
by  Commodore  R.  R.  Wallace,  U.  S.  Navy,  he 
being  the  Commandant.  He  informed  me  of  the 
duties  I  would  be  expected  to  perform.  Besides 
being  Chaplain,  I  found  I  had  to  be  a  sort  of  over- 
seeing schoolmaster.  At  this  station  there  were 
three  hundred  and  eighty-seven  boys,  ranging 
from  fourteen  to  seventeen  years  of  age.  The 
various  periods  of  education  were  conducted 
109 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


hourly  during  the  day.  I  had  three  assistants 
with  me  in  the  class-room,  who  carried  on  the 
educational  work  under  my  supervision.  Sunday 
came;  the  boys  were  mustered  as  the  bugle 
sounded,  and  all  marched  in  a  very  orderly  man- 
ner into  the  gymnasium,  where  divine  services 
were  to  be  conducted.  The  Stars  and  Stripes 
were  lowered,  and  above  them  went  the  Church 
pennant,  which  is  a  white  triangular  flag  with  a 
blue  Roman  cross  in  the  centre.  I  took  my  place 
behind  the  desk  and  commenced  my  first  service 
as  a  Chaplain  in  the  Navy.  All  the  Protestant 
boys  were  compelled  to  attend  this  service.  The 
Roman  Catholic  boys  were  sent  ashore  to  attend 
Mass.  I  never  spoke  to  a  more  attentive  lot  of 
boys  in  my  life  than  I  did  that  morning.  In  fact, 
I  never  addressed  a  more  attentive  gathering  any- 
where. Instead  of  preaching  a  sermon  to  them,  I 
gave  them  a  talk  as  to  what  they  might  expect 
from  me,  and  what  I  should  expect  from  them, 
urging  them  to  be  obedient  to  orders  and  do  their 
utmost  to  conduct  themselves  in  an  orderly  man- 
ner, assuring  them  that  if  they  did  what  was 
right,  they  would  never  get  into  trouble,  and 
would  grow  up  to  be  men  such  as  our  country 
would  be  proud  of.  At  the  close  of  the  service,  I 
told  the  boys  I  would  be  pleased  to  see  any  of 
them  at  my  office,  at  any  time,  who  wished  to 
consult  me  upon  any  subject. 
no 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


The  next  Sunday,  after  I  had  preached  to  them, 
I  extended  an  invitation  to  all  boys  desirous  of 
becoming  Christians  to  come  to  my  office  and  see 
me.  I  continued  this  custom  three  or  four  Sun- 
days without  result,  when  finally  I  went  to  the 
office  as  usual  after  the  close  of  the  service,  and 
was  taking  off  my  gown,  when  I  heard  a  gentle 
rap  on  the  door.  I  said :  "Come  in" ;  and  a  little 
fellow — who  in  fact  was  the  smallest  boy  at  the 
station — came  in,  appearing  very  timid.  I  recog- 
nized him  as  George  Scull,  and  I  said:  "Well, 
George,  what  is  it?"  He  replied:  "Chaplain,  I 
have  come  to  see  you  to-day,  sir,  to  ask  you  if  I 
can  say  my  prayers  in  my  hammock,  instead  of 
kneeling  down  on  the  floor?"  I  said:  "Why  do 
you  ask  me  that,  George  ?"  He  said :  "Well,  sir, 
when  I  left  home  I  promised  my  mother  I  would 
never  retire  at  night  without  first  asking  God  to 
bless  me  and  forgive  the  sins  that  I  had  com- 
mitted during  the  day."  I  said :  "That  is  right, 
George ;  but  why  do  you  wish  to  say  your  prayers 
in  your  hammock?"  He  said:  "You  see  it  is  just 
this  way,  sir :  when  I  came  to  the  station,  before 
turning  in  the  first  night,  I  knelt  down  on  the 
floor  in  the  upper  part  of  the  gymnasium,  where 
I  swing  my  hammock  at  night,  and  whilst  I  was 
saying  my  prayers,  first  a  rubber  boot  came  at 
my  head,  then  a  cake  of  soap,  a  scrubbing  brush, 
and  all  sorts  of  things,  until  finally  I  had  to  give 
HI 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


it  up.  As  I  tell  you,  sir,  it  is  mighty  hard  to  pray 
under  those  conditions."  I  said :  "Well,  my  boy, 
there  is  no  necessity  of  your  kneeling  down  and 
causing  the  boys  to  sin  by  interrupting  your  de- 
votions ;  you  can  pray  anywhere.  If  you  are  aloft 
furling  sail ;  out  on  the  field  at  battalion  drill ;  in 
fact,  anywhere,  in  any  position,  you  can  make  that 
a  place  of  prayer."  He  said:  "Well,  sir,  then  I 
will  say  my  prayers  in  my  hammock  hereafter." 
He  then  left  the  office. 

The  next  Tuesday  night,  going  over  to  the 
gymnasium  about  half  past  seven  o'clock,  I  saw 
George.  He  seemed  to  be  very  happy,  and  came 
over  to  me  and  said:  "Chaplain,  I  feel  so  much 
better,  sir,  now  that  I  have  started  to  pray  again. 
I  feel  like  a  different  boy."  I  encouraged  him, 
then  went  upstairs  to  my  office ;  and  when  I  came 
down,  saw  a  group  of  boys  off  in  the  far  corner  of 
the  gymnasium.  I  walked  over  to  see  what  was 
going  on,  and  there  was  little  George  in  the  midst 
of  them,  telling  them  how  sweet  it  was  to  follow 
Jesus  and  have  Him  love  us.  I  was  greatly  re- 
joiced to  find  the  religious  influence  of  that  little 
disciple  was  permeating  the  boys. 

One  Sunday  morning  after  service,  George  and 
seven  other  boys  came  to  my  office.  He,  being 
spokesman  for  them  at  first,  said :  "Chaplain,  we 
boys  have  learned  to  love  Jesus  Christ,  and  we  are 
very  anxious  to  follow  Him  into  the  baptismal 
112 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


waters,  and  would  like  you  to  baptize  us,  sir."  I 
looked  at  them,  and,  just  to  test  them,  said :  "You 
wish  me  to  sprinkle  you?"  Every  one  of  them 
spoke  up  and  said :  "No,  sir,  we  want  it  done  the 
way  Jesus  had  it  done ;  we  want  to  go  right  down 
into  the  water."  I  told  them  I  would  have  to  con- 
sult the  commanding  officer,  and  see  what  he  said 
about  it,  promising  them  that,  if  I  possibly  could 
arrange  it,  I  would  baptize  them  the  next  Sunday. 
I  communicated  with  my  own  church,  the  Lex- 
ington Avenue  Baptist  Church,  situated  on  Lex- 
ington Avenue  and  mth  Street,  New  York,  ask- 
ing permission  of  the  church  to  baptize  these  boys 
and  receive  them  into  the  fellowship  of  that 
church;  for  when  the  boys  would  leave  the  sta- 
tion, in  all  probability,  New  York  would  be  their 
headquarters,  and  I  felt  that  if  they  were  mem- 
bers of  a  church  in  New  York  City,  it  would  be 
very  helpful  to  them  when  going  there,  as  they 
were  almost  certain  to  do  later  on.  The  church 
was  most  happy  to  grant  my  request.  The  Com- 
mandant also  gave  his  permission,  so  I  made  ar- 
rangements with  the  Second  Baptist  Church  of 
Newport  to  baptize  the  boys  in  their  baptistery. 
The  second  Sunday  in  September  was  selected 
for  the  administration  of  the  ordinance.  That 
afternoon  I  was  talking  with  the  candidates,  and  I 
found  them  true,  conscientious  followers  and  be- 
lievers of  Jesus  Christ.  I  said :  "Boys,  I  will  go 
"3 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


and  telephone  to  Dr.  Caswell,  the  senior  deacon  of 
the  church,  and  see  if  everything  is  all  right  for 
this  evening."  So  I  went  into  the  Executive 
Officer's  office  and  telephoned  to  the  doctor,  ask- 
ing him  to  have  the  chill  taken  from  the  water,  so 
that  it  would  not  be  too  cold  for  the  boys.  The 
boys  overheard  me,  and  came  into  the  office  and 
said:  "No,  Chaplain,  we  don't  want  any  warm 
water  about  this !  We  don't  believe  the  waters  of 
the  Jordan  were  warmed  when  Jesus  went  into 
them."  I  said :  "All  right,  boys ;  I  will  telephone 
cancelling  that  order."  My  colored  mess  attend- 
ant aboard  ship  went  over  to  the  church  to  assist 
me  in  robing.  He  had  my  long  rubber  boots  with 
him.  When  we  boarded  the  launch  which  was  to 
take  us  over,  he  accidentally  allowed  the  boots  to 
open  out.  The  boys  looked  at  them  for  some 
time,  and  finally  one  of  them  said:  "Excuse  me, 
Chaplain,  but  are  you  going  to  wear  those  boots 
to-night?"  I  said:  "Yes."  Then  they  all  seemed 
to  meditate  for  some  time  and  looked  rather  seri- 
ous, when  the  little  Scull  boy  spoke  up  and  said : 
"Chaplain,  do  you  think,  sir,  that  John  the  Bap- 
tist wore  boots  like  that?"  I  said:  "I  guess  not, 
George."  Then,  after  a  little  more  pondering, 
they  said :  "Sir,  if  you  don't  mind,  we  would  like 
you  to  do  it  the  way  that  John  did  it."  I  said : 
"All  right,  boys,  it  shall  be  done  that  way ;  but  I 
have  only  one  pair  of  trousers  with  me."  They 
114 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


said:  "Well,  sir,  you  can  baptize  us  in  your 
trousers  and  go  home  in  your  boots." 

Fortunately,  I  was  able  to  get  a  message  to  the 
ship  for  an  extra  pair  of  trousers.  The  church 
was  crowded  when  we  reached  there.  The  eight 
boys,  accompanied  by  eight  others  and  a  school- 
master, who  were  to  assist  them, '  were  all 
dressed  in  their  blue  uniform ;  each  candidate  had 
his  white  duck  uniform  under  his  arm,  and  they 
presented  a  very  pretty  picture  as  they  walked 
down  the  aisle  of  the  church.  I  preached  the  ser- 
mon that  night,  choosing  for  my  theme  "Who 
should  be  baptized  ?" — my  text  being,  "If  thou  be- 
lievest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest,"  from 
Acts  eighth  chapter,  a  part  of  the  thirty-seventh 
verse.  I  had  good  attention  during  my  remarks, 
and  at  the  close  gave  out  the  hymn  that  was  to  be 
sung  during  the  baptism,  selecting  the  same  hymn 
that  was  sung  the  night  I  was  immersed, 
"Ashamed  of  Jesus." 

"Jesus,  and  shall  it  ever  be, 
A  mortal  man  ashamed  of  Thee  ? 
Ashamed  of  Thee,  whom  angels  praise, 
Whose  glories  shine  through  endless  days? 

"Ashamed  of  Jesus !  sooner  far 
Let  evening  blush  to  own  a  star : 
He  sheds  the  beams  of  light  divine 
O'er  this  benighted  soul  of  mine. 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"Ashamed  of  Jesus !  just  as  soon 
Let  midnight  be  ashamed  of  noon ; 
'Tis  midnight  with  my  soul,  till  He, 
Bright  morning  star,  bid  darkness  flee. 

"Ashamed  of  Jesus,  that  dear  Friend 
On  whom  my  hopes  of  heaven  depend ! 
No,  when  I  blush,  be  this  my  shame, 
That  I  no  more  revere  His  name. 

"Ashamed  of  Jesus !  yes,  I  may, 
When  I've  no  guilt  to  wash  away, 
No  tear  to  wipe,  no  good  to  crave, 
No  fear  to  quell,  no  soul  to  save. 

"Till  then,  nor  is  my  boasting  vain, 
Till  then  I  boast  a  Saviour  slain ; 
And  O  may  this  my  glory  be, 
That  Christ  is  not  ashamed  of  me." 

The  boys  shifted  from  their  blue  into  their 
white  duck  suits.  Little  George  Scull  was  the 
first  lad  to  enter  the  water  with  me,  and  as  we 
stood  there,  and  as  that  immense  audience  gazed 
upon  him,  I  said :  "George,  my  boy,  do  you  love 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  all  your  heart  ?"  And 
with  a  beautiful  smile  and  a  clear  toned  voice  he 
said:  "Yes,  sir,  I  do."  Then  I  said:  "Are  you 
willing,  George,  to  trust  Jesus  and  serve  Him,  no 
116 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


matter  where  you  may  be  ?"  He  said :  "Yes,  sir ; 
because  I  know  He  will  help  me."  I  then  uttered 
the  usual  words,  "Upon  profession  of  your  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  obedience  to  the  great 
commission,  I  baptize  you,  my  dear  boy,  into  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Amen."  A  great  silence  followed 
the  immersion,  and  while  George  was  being  led 
out  of  the  water  he  joined  in  the  singing  of  the 
hymn  with  the  congregation.  One  after  another 
of  the  boys  I  baptized,  asking  each  of  them  the 
same  questions  I  had  asked  George.  Three  of 
them  had  been  Roman  Catholics.  The  next  Sun- 
day night  I  immersed  five  more  boys  in  the  same 
church,  and  sweet  indeed  was  the  pleasure  of  la- 
boring with  these  coming  men  of  our  Navy. 

I  was  detached  from  Newport  on  the  fifteenth 
day  of  October,  1896,  with  orders  to  proceed  to 
Tompkinsville,  N.  Y.,  and  report  to  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  North  Atlantic  Station 
for  duty  on  board  the  U.  S.  S.  "Texas."  Leaving 
the  station  that  night,  the  boys  assembled  on  the 
dock,  where  I  was  to  board  our  steam  launch, 
which  was  to  take  me  to  the  Fall  River  boat.  As 
I  stepped  aboard  the  launch,  the  boys  commenced 
cheering  and  shouting,  and  I  had  no  idea  until 
then  how  closely  they  were  knit  to  me,  and  I  to 
them.  I  shall  never  forget  the  pleasant  duty  I 
had  at  Newport — my  first  duty  in  the  Navy. 
117 


CHAPTER  II. 

CHAPLAIN  OF  THE  U.  S.  S.  "TEXAS." 

IN  obedience  to  my  orders,  I  reported  on  board 
the  flagship  "New  York"  off  Tompkinsville, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  October,  to 
Rear-Admiral  F.  M.  Bunce,  Commander-in-Chief 
U.  S.  Naval  Forces  on  North  Atlantic  Station. 
He  directed  me  to  report  to  Captain  Henry  Glass, 
U.  S.  Navy,  commanding  the  U.  S.  S.  "Texas."  I 
was  taken  over  to  her  on  one  of  the  "New  York's" 
steam  launches,  and,  climbing  the  gangway  of  the 
"Texas,"  I  was  amazed  at  her  gigantic  structural 
beauty.  The  Officer  of  the  Deck  met  me 
cordially  and  directed  me  to  the  Captain's  cabin. 
After  reporting  for  duty,  I  was  introduced  by  the 
Captain  to  his  Executive  Officer,  Lieutenant- 
Commander  J.  D.  J.  Kelley,  U.  S.  Navy.  I  found 
him  a  very  genial  gentleman,  and  he  very  kindly 
introduced  me  to  all  the  officers  on  board,  after 
which  he  assigned  me  to  my  room,  the  sixth  on 
the  port  side,  that  being  the  Chaplain's  room  on 
every  ship,  and  the  port  side  being  the  side  Staff 
Officers  occupy.  A  little  later,  I  went  on  deck. 
Gazing  up  and  down,  I  was  impressed  with  the 
119 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


beauty  of  the  quarter  deck,  which  is  known  to  be 
the  best  deck  any  ship  of  the  Navy  has,  and,  as 
I  stood  there,  I  soliloquized  thus:  Here  I  am, 
Chaplain  of  this  magnificent  ship,  manned  by 
three  hundred  and  ninety-eight  men,  including 
officers.  In  fact,  this  is  my  parish.  These  men 
are  intrusted  to  me  for  their  spiritual  upbuilding, 
and  what  a  wonderful  field  for  work  in  trying  to 
remodel  the  characters  of  some  of  these  young 
men! 

I  found  the  men  exceedingly  glad  that  they  had 
had  a  Chaplain  sent  to  them,  and  they  expressed 
themselves  frequently  as  being  determined  to 
stand  by  me,  and  assist  me  in  all  that  I  did.  After 
breakfast  that  day — the  breakfast  being  served  on 
board  a  warship  at  noon — I  walked  about  the  ship 
and  thought  I  would  venture  down  below;  so, 
going  down  one  of  the  ladders,  I  commenced  to 
go  through  the  redoubt  and  presently  was  travel- 
ling in  very  crooked  paths,  frequently  coming  up 
against  a  solid  bulkhead,  instead  of  finding  a  door 
as  I  expected.  I  thought:  "This  is  peculiar;  I 
had  better  try  and  find  the  main  deck";  but,  to 
my  astonishment,  I  was  lost  in  the  bowels  of  the 
ship.  Meeting  a  man  in  one  of  the  passage-ways, 
I  was  tempted  to  inquire  the  way,  but  refrained 
from  doing  it,  for  fear  the  officers  and  crew  would 
laugh  at  me ;  so  I  kept  going  for  some  time  until 
at  last,  to  my  joy  and  relief  I  was  back  on  deck. 
120 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Having  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  men  through  the 
week,  I  talked  with  them  freely  on  the  relationship 
of  the  Chaplain  to  his  men,  trying  to  impress  them 
with  the  fact  that,  while  being  an  officer  in  the 
Navy,  I  wished  them  to  consider  me  their  friend, 
put  there  by  my  country  to  help  them  in  becoming 
men  who  would  be  a  credit  to  our  nation,  assur- 
ing them  that  whatever  was  in  my  power  to 
assist  them  to  become  manly  men,  I  would  do 
with  the  greatest  pleasure. 

One  thing  that  greatly  touched  me  was  the  way 
several  of  them  spoke  of  their  mothers,  their 
home,  and  their  sisters ;  still,  many  had  left  them 
of  their  own  accord,  and  I  could  not  but  feel  how 
happy  a  young  man  must  be  who  appreciates  his 
sacred  obligations  while  he  yet  has  the  pleasure 
of  being  a  member  of  the  home  circle  and,  by  his 
words  and  deeds,  is  able  to  voice  his  appreciation 
to  those  who  are  most  interested  in  him.  I  had 
often  heard  my  own  dear  mother  say :  "A  boy  that 
is  good  to  his  mother  will  make  a  good  man." 
Thinking  over  my  work,  I  frequently  reminded 
them  of  that. 

This  important  fact  staggered  me,  as  I  viewed 
it  seriously,  that  a  Chaplain  on  board  a  battle- 
ship was  the  sole  representative  of  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  I  knew  these  men  were  going  to 
be  governed  largely  by  the  way  they  saw  him  act 
in  their  presence.  Many  people  had  said  to  me 

121 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


that  a  Chaplain's  life  was  an  exceedingly  easy  one. 
I  beg  to  differ  with  them,  however,  and  say,  not 
with  the  spirit  of  egotism,  but  because  I  think  it 
is  an  absolute  fact,  a  minister  on  shore  has  twice 
as  easy  an  occupation  as  a  Chaplain  aboard  a 
ship.  A  minister  is  known  best  by  his  own  im- 
mediate family.  In  fact,  no  one  knows  him  as 
well  as  his  wife  and  children,  and  no  one  sees  the 
minister  as  he  really  is,  but  those  of  his  family 
circle.  His  congregation  see  him  in  his  pulpit 
at  different  times,  and  he  is  with  them  on  their 
prayer-meeting  nights  during  the  week,  but  they 
don't  see  that  minister  as  a  man.  They  simply 
see  him  as  a  pastor  and  preacher ;  and  I  don't  be- 
lieve there  is  a  minister  in  the  world  who  would 
be  willing  to  live  with  his  whole  congregation 
seven  days  in  the  week,  that  is,  to  have  each 
member  of  it  become  one  of  his  immediate  family 
— but  that  is  what  the  Chaplain  has  to  do.  He 
preaches  to  the  men  on  Sundays,  and  during  the 
week  has  extra  meetings,  but  he  has  to  live  with 
his  men  all  the  time,  and  he  is  constantly  watched, 
to  see  whether  he  is  a  man  after  the  calling  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and,  if  there  is  the  least  incon- 
sistency exhibited  by  that  man  in  their  presence, 
his  influence  with  them  is  gone  forever.  In  fact, 
I  think  a  Chaplain's  life  is  the  hardest  one  a  Chris- 
tian man  can  live.  He  has  no  encouragements  to 
help  him  in  his  work,  no  loved  ones  to  stimulate 

122 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


him,  nothing  of  the  sweet  discipleship  of  noble 
Christian  women  that  the  minister  is  blessed  with 
at  home;  he  has  to  stand  there  alone,  single 
handed,  to  fight  against  the  tremendous  army  of 
Satan.  Many  times,  however,  he  is  privileged  to 
find  sweet  Christian  men  among  the  officers,  and 
oftentimes  in  the  crew  are  noble  Christian  fel- 
lows, striving  to  live  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  where  he  is  fortunate  enough  to  find  such 
men,  it  is  of  great  assistance  to  him  in  reaching 
others,  as  example  counts  for  much  in  the  Navy. 
If  the  Commanding  Officer  absents  himself  from 
the  divine  services,  it  does  tremendous  injury  in 
the  matter  of  attendance ;  but  if  the  Commanding 
Officer  feels  that  it  is  his  duty  to  recognize  the 
services  for  the  sake  of  the  men,  the  effect  is  won- 
derful in  influencing  many  of  them  to  attend. 

The  first  Sunday  morning  I  was  on  board  ship, 
the  bugle  sounded,  calling  the  men  to  church  at 
10 130.  The  service  was  held  on  the  gun  deck.  As 
I  gave  out  the  first  hymn,  I  was  standing  along- 
side of  a  modern  six-inch  gun.  The  contrast  was 
very  noticeable.  There  I  stood,  speaking  of  peace 
and  love,  and  yet  beside  me  was  this  then  silent 
messenger  of  destruction;  this  idea  seized  me, 
however,  that  a  warship  is  not  made  to  destroy — 
she  is  made  to  prevent  war ;  and  the  stronger  our 
Navy  becomes  the  less  is  the  probability  of  our 
ever  engaging  in  battle.  I  had  a  sweet  time  with 
123 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


the  men  that  day,  telling  them  what  I  would  ex- 
pect of  them  and  what  they  could  expect  of  me, 
and  trying  to  impress  upon  them  this  truth :  That 
I  knew  there  was  not  a  man  there,  a  true  man-of- 
war's  man,  that  loved  his  country  and  his  flag, 
who  would  ever  think  of  bringing  disgrace  to 
either,  and  yet  reminded  them  that  in  the  short 
time  I  had  been  on  board  I  had  seen  two  or  three 
men  returning  from  liberty  intoxicated.  If  those 
men  would  only  look  at  their  uniform,  and  try  to 
realize  that  it  stood  in  the  place  of  their  flag,  I 
knew  they  would  never  bring  disgrace  upon  it. 
After  I  had  pronounced  the  benediction,  I  went 
up  on  the  quarter  deck.  The  Church  pennant 
was  still  flying  above  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  So  I 
ventured  to  ask  an  officer  why  the  Church  pennant 
always  went  above  the  national  colors.  He  re- 
plied: "Well,  Chaplain,  that  is  the  only  pennant 
that  is  allowed  to  go  over  the  flag.  If  the  Presi- 
dent should  visit  this  shipz  his  flag  goes  up  on  the 
mast-head,  but  as  soon  as  a  Chaplain  takes  his 
place  behind  the  desk,  to  hold  divine  service,  the 
flag  is  lowered,  and  the  Church  pennant  goes 
above  it,  which  means  this — God  is  over  all." 

I  learned  to  love  these  men  as  I  continued  with 
them.  In  fact,  the  more  I  saw  of  them,  the  more  I 
was  impressed  with  their  singleness  of  purpose 
and  sincerity  of  heart.  Whenever  a  man  came  to 
me  and  told  me  that  he  wanted  to  live  a  different 
124 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


life,  I  knew  he  meant  it:  you  will  never  find  a 
hypocrite  among  the  enlisted  men  of  our  Navy, 
for  they  have  nothing  to  gain  in  trying  to  live 
dual  lives.  And,  moreover,  they  have  to  continue 
to  live  in  the  presence  of  the  men  that  they  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  sinning  with,  and  they  are 
very  likely  to  have  a  great  deal  of  sport  on  the 
coming  out  of  a  man  on  the  side  of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  had  not  been  on  board  long  before  I  com- 
menced receiving  letters  from  many  of  my 
friends,  inquiring  why  I  had  been  assigned  to  the 
"Texas,"  as  she  was  known  to  be  a  hoodoo  ship, 
and  wondering  whether  the  Department  had  any- 
thing against  me,  feeling  sure  every  man  sent  to 
that  ship  would  sooner  or  later  come  to  grief.  I 
heard  so  much  about  this  thing  that  it  became 
very  annoying.  I  even  read  that  a  Congressman 
from  the  State  of  Texas  got  up  on  the  floor  of  the 
House  and  requested  to  have  the  name  of  the  bat- 
tleship "Texas"  changed,  because  she  was  a  dis- 
grace to  his  State.  I  don't  know  how  true  that 
is,  whether  he  ever  said  it  or  not ;  but  yet  it  must 
be  true — for  I  read  it  in  a  New  York  news- 
paper. 

We  remained  at  Tompkinsville  until  the  middle 
of  November,  when  we  went  up  to  the  Navy  Yard 
to  be  dry  docked ;  and  while  there  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  received  this  letter  from  Galveston, 
Tex.: 

125 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


GALVESTON,  TEX., 
December  loth,  1896. 
HON.  HILARY  A.  HERBERT,  SECRETARY  OF  THE 

NAVY,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. : 
Dear  Sir: 

At  a  recent  meeting,  participated  in  by  the  dif- 
ferent commercial  organizations  of  Galveston,  at 
which  were  present  officers  of  the  Cotton  Ex- 
change, Chamber  of  Commerce,  Maritime  Asso- 
ciation, Board  of  Trade,  Freight  Bureau,  Deep 
Water  Utilization  Committee,  and  resident  rail- 
road officials,  the  undersigned  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  correspond  with  Hon.  Hilary  A. 
Herbert,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  an  effort  to 
secure  a  visit  from  the  White  Squadron,  or  at 
least  a  portion  of  the  Squadron,  including  the  bat- 
tle-ship "Texas,"  to  Galveston,  February  i6th, 
1897,  on  the  occasion  of  the  twelfth  annual  con- 
vention of  the  National  Education  Association, 
to  be  held  at  Galveston.  The  last  report  of  Major 
A.  M.  Miller,  of  the  Government  Engineers,  cov- 
ering the  December  survey,  shows  a  good  twenty- 
five  foot  channel  leading  into  Galveston  Bay. 

By  popular  subscription,  the  people  of  this 
State  raised  $5,000,  which  has  been  expended  in 
the  purchase  of  a  silver  service  for  the  battle-ship 
"Texas."  This  service  is  now  ready  for  presen- 
tation. It  is  the  desire  of  those  having  the  matter 
in  charge,  if  agreeable  to  the  Honorable  Secre- 
126 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


tary  of  the  Navy,  to  present  this  silver  service  to 
the  "Texas"  at  Galveston  on  the  date  above 
named. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Galveston  has  deep 
water  and  that  the  Atlantic  Squadron,  or  a  por- 
tion of  said  Squadron,  has  been  invited  to  visit 
New  Orleans  during  the  Mardi  Gras  festivities, 
in  behalf  of  the  commercial  interests  of  Texas 
and  the  West,  we  desire  strongly  to  urge  the  Hon- 
orable Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  take  such  action 
as  will  secure  to  Galveston  on  the  date  above  men- 
tioned a  visit  from  the  whole  or  a  portion  of  the 
Atlantic  Squadron. 

We  respectfully  request  the  Honorable  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  to  take  this  matter  under  ad- 
visement, and  let  us  know  his  decision  as  soon  as 
he  may  find  it  convenient. 

Very  respectfully, 

CLARENCE  OUSLEY, 
JOHN  R.  HEDGES. 

To  which  the  Honorable  Secretary  replied  as 
follows : 

NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON, 

January  8th,  1897. 

To  THE  COMMITTEE  REPRESENTING  THE  COM- 
MERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS  OF  GALVESTON  : 
Gentlemen: 

I  have  given  orders  to  have  the  "Texas"  at 
Galveston  on  February  i6th.    I  have  looked  into 
127 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


the  matter  of  the  depth  of  water  over  the  bar,  and 
it  is  somewhat  doubtful  whether  the  "Texas"  can 
get  over.  Her  captain  will  be  instructed  to  ex- 
amine carefully  and  go  in  if  he  thinks  he  can  do 
so  safely.  Otherwise  she  will  anchor  out,  and 
you  will  be  able  to  visit  her  by  boat.  I  hope  she 
may  be  able  to  get  in,  as  I  am  sure  you  will  all 
appreciate  having  her  in  the  harbor,  but  I  do  not 
like  to  take  the  responsibility  of  deciding  this 
matter  for  myself.  The  Captain,  when  he  is  on 
the  spot,  can  best  determine  whether  to  take  her 
over  the  bar. 

Yours  respectfully, 

H.  A.  HERBERT, 
Secretary. 

We  came  out  of  dry  dock  early  in  January, 
and  as  I  held  my  services  on  board  the  ship 
while  she  was  at  the  Navy  Yard,  I  had  a  great 
deal  of  outside  help  at  the  services.  One  dear 
brother  I  recollect  to-day,  J.  M.  Wood,  a  mis- 
sionary who  had  once  been  an  enlisted  man ;  he, 
having  become  converted,  labored  in  the  Navy 
Yard  in  the  interest  of  the  men.  He  and  his  wife 
frequently  came  on  board  ship,  she  to  sing,  he  to 
speak.  She  was  a  beautiful  singer,  and  he  such  a 
speaker  as  any  of  the  men  could  understand.  It 
has  often  been  a  difficult  problem  for  many  to 
solve,  why  this  noble  man,  doing  the  good  that  he 
128 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


was  in  reaching  the  sailors,  was  snatched  away  so 
suddenly  and  returned  to  the  God  whose  servant 
he  was ;  and  yet  "God  doeth  all  things  well" ;  for 
through  his  death  many  of  his  old  associates  saw 
the  beauty  of  a  Christian  life  and  a  Christian 
death  portrayed  in  him.  Often  have  I  attended 
in  the  past  his  meetings  at  Cob  Dock,  when  the 
number  of  men  present  went  to  show  how  he  was 
beloved  by  the  men  of  the  sea,  and  I  believe  this 
true  though  humble  follower  of  Jesus  Christ 
found  many  a  star  in  his  crown  representing  sail- 
ors when  he  entered  the  portals  of  bliss :  for  he, 
as  the  instrument  used  of  God,  has  been  the  means 
of  converting  hundreds  of  them.  May  we  ever 
cherish  the  memory  of  our  faithful  friend,  J.  M. 
Wood,  and  may  all  his  old  shipmates  strive  to 
meet  him  up  there,  where  he  is  waiting  for  them. 


129 


CHAPTER  III. 

MY  FIRST  CRUISE. 

AS  soon  as  it  was  learned  our  ship  was  to 
proceed  to  Texas,  the  men  were  put  to 
work  getting  her  in  as  fine  condition  as 
she  could  possibly  be  put  in.  All  the  officers  were 
required  to  inspect  their  uniforms  and  see  that 
they  were  supplied  with  everything.  The  Chap- 
lains at  this  time  had  no  prescribed  uniform  out- 
side of  a  regular  clerical  suit,  which  was  a 
straight-cut,  seven  or  nine  button,  single-breasted 
coat  of  blue  or  black  material.  The  hat  was  an 
inch  high  in  the  crown,  flat  brim,  made  of  felt 
similar  to  that  used  by  the  Quaker  brothers,  or 
very  High  Episcopalians.  I  had  usually  worn  an 
ordinary  Alpine  hat,  which  I  would  turn  down, 
making  it  as  low  as  possible  to  comply  with  the 
Regulations.  The  Commanding  Officer,  however, 
informed  me,  a  few  days  before  sailing,  that  I 
would  have  to  furnish  myself  with  one  as  pre- 
scribed in  the  Navy  Regulations,  as  we  were 
going  to  Galveston  under  very  auspicious  cir- 
cumstances, and  undoubtedly  there  would  be  a 
great  deal  of  function  pertaining  to  our  visit.  I 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


tried  to  be  excused  from  obeying  the  order,  but  he 
insisted;  so,  leaving  the  ship,  I  went  over  to 
Broadway  to  a  clerical  outfitter  and  found  he  had 
not  my  size  in  stock,  but  he  promised  to  send  me 
one  by  express,  so  that  it  would  reach  me  by  the 
time  we  arrived  at  Galveston. 

On  the  ninth  of  February  we  left  the  Navy 
Yard  for  our  Southern  trip.  From  the  day  we 
started  until  the  day  of  our  arrival,  six  days  later, 
we  experienced  gorgeous  weather.  The  nights 
were  grand,  and  to  watch  the  wake  of  the  ship 
with  the  phosphorus  all  glittering  astern  of  us 
was  a  magnificent  sight.  In  fact,  that  cruise  to 
me  was  more  like  a  trip  on  a  gentleman's  yacht 
than  cruising  on  a  warship.  I  found  I  could 
get  much  closer  to  our  men  while  at  sea  than  in 
port,  as  our  services  were  far  better  attended. 
During  the  week  I  conducted  classes  and  looked 
after  the  men's  library,  and  would  visit  the  men 
frequently,  going  to  the  engine  room,  fire-room 
and  every  part  of  the  ship.  Going  down  into  the 
fire-room,  however,  was  a  great  task,  as  the  ther- 
mometer would  average  117  degrees  there,  but  I 
felt  the  men  would  come  to  me  and  my  services 
if  I  went  where  they  were.  We  had  various 
games  on  the  quarter  deck  during  the  day,  and  at 
night  our  volunteer  band  would  play  selections, 
then  there  was  singing  and  everything  to  make 
life  as  happy  as  one  could  expect  while  on  the 
132 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


briny  deep.  On  the  fifteenth  of  February,  we 
arrived  off  Galveston,  reaching  the  bar  about 
noon,  and  came  to  anchor,  waiting  for  high  tide. 
Long  before  we  arrived,  we  met  excursion  boats 
on  the  Gulf,  all  out  looking  for  us.  They  were 
decorated  with  flags  of  all  nations,  their  bands 
were  playing,  and  all  boats  were  loaded  down  to 
the  water  line  with  a  most  enthusiastic  crowd  of 
spectators,  who  greeted  us  in  a  very  hilarious 
manner. 

We  had  remained  at  anchor  about  an  hour  out- 
side of  the  bar,  when  the  pilot  who  had  previous- 
ly boarded  us,  a  man  selected  by  the  townspeople 
for  his  abl.lity  and  long  term  of  service,  he  being 
the  oldest  pilot  of  the  Pilot  Association  of  that 
port,  informed  the  Captain  that  the  tide  was  as 
high  as  it  would  get,  and  suggested  that  we  up 
anchor  and  go  in.  Carrying  out  his  suggestion, 
we  proceeded  in  between  the  passes  which  extend 
out  into  the  Gulf  from  the  city  about  three  and 
one-half  miles.  The  "Texas"  was  the  first  ship 
of  any  great  draft  that  had  entered  the  port — she 
was  then  drawing  twenty-four  and  one-half  feet — 
and  went  over  the  bar  without  any  trouble,  com- 
ing to  anchor  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
the  city  wharves.  The  committee  appointed  to 
welcome  us  came  on  board,  and  the  Mayor,  on  be- 
half of  the  City,  extended  an  address  of  welcome 
on  our  deck.  The  next  day  the  Governor  of  the 
133 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


State  arrived  and  was  saluted  when  he  left  the 
ship  by  seventeen  guns.  The  following  morning, 
at  nine  o'clock,  the  people  began  to  swarm  out  to 
the  ship.  Every  boat  that  could  be  secured  was 
put  in  commission,  and  lighters  were  placed  on 
either  side  of  the  ship  to  enable  excursionists  to 
board  us  more  easily,  and  from  the  time  the  ship 
was  thrown  open  until  sunset  she  was  a  floating 
mass  of  humanity,  and  continued  as  such  daily 
during  our  presence  in  those  waters. 

One  thing  I  regretted  exceedingly,  as  the  ex- 
press package  came  on  board,  was  the  arrival  of 
my  hat.  It  did  not  become  me  at  all.  I  had  to 
wear  it,  though.  The  day  we  were  to  receive  the 
silver  service,  the  officers  and  men  were  taken 
ashore  in  the  ship's  boats.  We  were  met  with  a 
great  deal  of  pomp  and  ceremony  as  we  landed  on 
the  dock.  The  city  was  in  her  gala  dress  in  honor 
of  the  occasion.  Coaches  were  provided  for  the 
officers;  the  men  in  marching  order.  I  had  the 
honor  of  sitting  in  the  coach  with  the  Command- 
ing Officer  in  the  rear  of  the  leading  band  in  the 
procession,  and  as  the  line  advanced  the  familiar 
airs  were  struck  up  and  we  commenced  to  march 
through  the  streets,  lined  as  they  were  on  either 
side  with  people,  many  of  them  being  cowboys. 
As  our  coach  proceeded,  we  caught  the  refrain  of 
that  old  familiar  song:  "Where  did  you  get  that 
hat?  Where  did  you  get  that  hat ?"  Looking  at 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


the  Captain,  I  said:  "Sir,  is  that  your  hat,  or 
mine  ?"    He  said :  "Evidently,  it  is  yours." 

The  presentation  was  to  be  at  the  Beach  Hotel, 
there  being  magnificent  grounds  around  it,  and 
the  hotel  itself  looked  like  a  tower;  its  balconies 
were  crowded  with  people,  and  the  grounds  were 
black  with  them.  All  the  officers  took  their  places 
on  the  grand  stand.  The  Governor  of  the  State 
made  the  address,  presenting  the  silver  service, 
which  had  cost  $5,000 — the  gift  of  the  State  to  the 
ship.  He  spoke  in  glowing  terms  of  the  valor  of 
our  men,  and  incidentally  said  that  he  expected  to 
hear  from  them  should  the  ship  ever  get  into 
action,  as  he  believed  there  would  be  a  good  ac- 
counting from  all  on  board.  The  Captain  re- 
ceived the  gift,  and,  in  a  few  well-chosen  words, 
thanked  the  people  of  the  State  on  behalf  of  the 
Navy  Department  and  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 
"Texas."  That  night  there  was  a  grand  recep- 
tion in  honor  of  the  officers,  all  of  us  attending  in 
full  dress  uniform,  the  citizens  turning  out  to  wel- 
come us.  It  really  seemed  that  the  city  had 
thrown  its  portals  wide  open  to  receive  us :  for  if 
we  hired  a  coach  to  go  anywhere,  at  the  end  of  the 
drive  the  driver  refused  pay  and  would  inform  us 
that  the  city  was  paying  for  that.  Even  on  the 
street  cars,  the  conductors  would  not  collect  our 
fares,  and  every  home  in  the  place  was  open  to  us. 
Receptions  were  given  nightly,  excursions  were 
135 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


gotten  up  for  the  crew,  and  they"  were  taken  to 
different  resorts  where  they  would  have  oyster- 
bakes,  and  such  like.  A  great  deal  of  credit  is 
due  the  State  for  the  attention  paid  to  the  en- 
listed men.  Most  States  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the 
fact  that  the  men  are  very  important  individuals, 
making  up  the  fighting  complement,  and  are  just 
as  much  entitled  to  recognition  as  any  of  the 
officers. 

The  first  Sunday  in  port,  it  was  intended  to 
have  a  large  representation  of  the  city  people  on 
board  at  our  services — they  having  promised  to 
come  out  and  render  us  what  assistance  they 
could  in  the  singing.  A  storm  came  up,  which 
prevented  them  from  reaching  the  ship.  The  next 
Sunday,  however,  was  grand.  A  large  company 
from  the  different  churches  came  out  and  ren- 
dered valuable  assistance,  some  of  the  ladies  sing- 
ing solos;  we  were  also  favored  with  quartettes 
and  chorus  singing.  Our  men  enjoyed  it  ex- 
ceedingly, and  all  the  visitors  were  delighted  at 
having  the  opportunity  of  attending  service  on 
board  a  war-ship. 

The  night  before  leaving  a  large  farewell  re- 
ception was  given  the  officers  on  shore.  We  were 
to  have  sailed  the  next  morning  at  daylight,  but 
a  terrific  storm  came  up  and  our  steam  launch 
was  unable  to  leave  the  ship  that  night  to  come 
in  to  the  dock  for  us,  so  we  chartered  a  tug.  The 
136 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Captain  was  doubtful  of  making  the  ship,  but  he 
was  urged  by  the  officers  to  make  a  bold  attempt. 
We  went  out  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  the  ship 
having  gone  outside  the  bar,  where  she  was 
anchored.  All  of  a  sudden  the  Captain  of  the 
tug  said :  "Gentlemen,  we  shall  be  swamped ;  we 
had  better  turn  and  put  back  to  port."  In  making 
th€  turn,  we  really  thought  we  would  be  cap- 
sized, but  reached  the  dock  all  right.  We  waited 
on  shore  until  six  o'clock,  when  our  Executive 
Officer  went  over  to  the  light-house  tender 
"Armeria"  and  got  her  Commanding  Officer  to 
take  us  out  to  the  ship.  The  sea  was  very  boister- 
ous, so  we  steamed  around  our  ship  three  or  four 
times  before  lowering  a  boat.  A  boat  shoved  off 
from  the  "Texas,"  but  was  unable  to  make  us. 
Then  the  life-boat  was  lowered  from  the  tender, 
and,  suspending  ourselves  over  the  side,  clinging 
to  a  rope  as  the  boat  would  come  up  on  the  crest 
of  a  wave,  we  would  drop  into  it.  At  last  we  all 
got  in,  and  then  the  great,  stalwart  fellows  who 
manned  her  pulled  with  all  their  might  for  our 
gangway.  After  a  very  trying  experience,  and 
with  great  difficulty,  they  reached  the  ship.  With 
great  caution,  one  at  a  time  sprang  from  the  boat 
to  the  platform  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  After 
leaving  us,  it  seemed  at  times  as  though  the  boat 
could  never  live  in  such  a  sea,  but  they  got  back 
with  her  to  the  tender.  Then  the  "Armeria"  blew 
137 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


her  whistle  three  times,  saluting  us,  which  we  ac- 
knowledged. After  getting  our  anchor,  we  put  to 
sea,  headed  for  New  Orleans,  where  we  were  or- 
dered to  participate  in  the  Mardi  Gras  celebration. 
Going  up  the  Mississippi  River  we  passed  through 
the  midst  of  beautiful  scenery,  passing  also  the  old 
forts  where  Farragut  made  the  celebrated  run, 
and  where  his  words  have  come  down  in  history : 
"Never  mind  the  torpedoes;  go  ahead!"  The 
hamlets  on  the  banks  of  the  river — some  in  very 
good  condition,  others  most  desolate  looking — 
were  all  occupied  by  the  same  kind  of  people, 
true  Americans,  who  shouted  as  loud  as  their 
lungs  would  permit  as  we  steamed  by.  Arriving 
off  Canal  Street,  we  found  the  U.  S.  S.  "Maine," 
in  command  of  Captain  Crowninshield,  U.  S.  N., 
lying  at  anchor. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival,  King  Rex  came 
up  the  river,  and  we  saluted  him  with  twenty-one 
guns,  after  which  he  was  received  on  shore  by  our 
men  with  military  honors.  The  day  procession 
was  very  grand,  but  the  procession  that  night  was 
the  grandest  sight  I  have  ever  witnessed.  There 
were  thirty-seven  floats,  representing  the  various 
States  and  the  seasons  of  the  year.  We  remained 
in  New  Orleans  a  week,  and  were  received  as  cor- 
dially and  as  heartily  as  we  had  been  in  Galves- 
ton.  I  found  the  people  just  as  anxious  to  attend 
divine  service  on  board  ship  there  as  they  had 
138 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


been  in  other  ports,  and  several  of  them  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  and  assisted  us 
greatly  in  the  services. 

From  there  we  went  to  Port  Royal,  S.  C,  where 
we  tested  our  great  guns  and  found  them  in  good 
condition,  but  very  slow  for  modern  warfare;  as 
it  took  seven  minutes  to  fire,  reload  and  fire  again. 

Leaving  there,  we  proceeded  to  Hampton 
Roads,  where  we  remained  two  weeks,  when  we 
were  ordered  to  Tompkinsville,  N.  Y.,  and  were 
welcomed  home  by  those  so  dear  to  us.  I  shall 
never  forget  this  first  cruise  of  mine  on  a  war- 
ship, and  shall  ever  look  back  to  it  with  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure. 


139 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  BAR  HARBOR,  MAINE,  EXPERIENCE. 

IN  March,  1897,  our  Commanding  Officer  was 
detached,  and  Captain  William  C.  Wise, 
U.  S.  N.,  was  ordered  to  the  command. 
We  found  him  to  be  a  very  charming  gentleman. 
He  was  a  strict  Churchman,  and  never  failed  to 
attend  divine  service  on  board  ship  while  at  sea, 
but  in  port  always  attended  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal services.  He  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  yet 
had  the  respect  and  love  of  every  one  on  board. 
As  a  Commanding  Officer  he  got  a  great  deal  of 
work  out  of  both  officers  and  men,  more  on  ac- 
count of  the  respect  they  had  for  him  than  on  ac- 
count of  the  authority  vested  in  him  by  his  rank. 
We  made  several  runs  from  New  York  during  his 
command  and  for  the  summer  maneuvering  went 
to  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  Portland  and  Bar  Harbor, 
Me.  Admiral  Sicard  was  then  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  on  the  North  Atlantic  Station.  As  the 
fleet  dropped  anchor  off  Bar  Harbor,  the  flagship 
displayed  the  signal :  "Give  the  men  all  the  liberty 
they  want ;  there  is  no  rum  in  this  State."  Our 
men  were  delighted,  and  all  who  could  obtain  lib- 
141 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


erty  very  soon  left  the  ship.  The  Saturday  after 
our  arrival,  the  U.  S.  F.  S.  "New  York"  and  U. 
S.  S.  "Massachusetts"  base-ball  nines  played 
a  match  game,  which  the  "Massachusetts"  crew 
won.  This  was  the  first  time  the  flagship's  nine 
had  been  defeated,  and  naturally  the  men  were 
elated  over  the  victory,  which  caused  them  to  act 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  one  believe  the  town 
belonged  to  them.  About  eight  o'clock  that  even- 
ing the  town  officers  sent  off  word  to  all  ships 
that  the  men  were  acting  disorderly  on  shore.  A 
corporal's  guard  was  sent  from  each  ship,  with 
orders  to  arrest  all  men  overstaying  liberty  and 
order  all  others  back,  and  I  have  never,  during  my 
experience  in  the  Navy,  seen  so  many  drunken 
sailors  as  I  saw  there  in  that  prohibition  port. 

Sunday  on  board  ship  we  held  divine  service  as 
usual  at  10:30.  It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  all 
the  ships  with  their  Church  pennants  flying,  and 
it  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  six  Chaplains  to- 
gether with  the  fleet. 

In  the  evening,  I  was  invited  to  open  a  meeting 
at  the  Congregational  Church.  Being  informed 
it  was  a  union  service,  I  accepted  the  invitation, 
and  when  I  entered  the  church,  found  a  very  large 
audience  present,  and  on  the  rostrum  sat  seven  or 
eight  ladies,  who  were  the  speakers  of  the  occa- 
sion. There  were  no  gentlemen  with  them,  as  it 
was  purely  a  woman's  meeting.  I  was  asked  to 
142 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


open  the  meeting  with  prayer,  which  I  did,  and 
prayed  for  everything  except  the  one  thing  I 
should  have,  namely,  temperance,  not  being  in- 
formed beforehand  of  the  character  of  the  service. 
The  president  arose  and  made  a  magnificent 
speech  on  the  subject  under  discussion.  She  was 
followed  by  a  lady,  the  world's  secretary  of  the 
W.  C.  T.  U.,  who  based  her  speech  on  the  con- 
duct of  our  men  the  previous  day.  She  was  very 
bitter  in  her  denunciation  of  the  sailors  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  and  the  way  she  reflected 
upon  them  and  complimented  the  policemen  for 
doing  their  duty  made  me  very  indignant,  which 
caused  me  to  ask  the  chairman  for  permission  to 
speak,  after  the  present  speaker  was  through.  I 
was  informed  that  the  world's  president  had  the 
programme  in  charge,  and  I  would  have  to  get  her 
consent ;  so  immediately  sent  word  to  her  that  I 
would  like  permission  to  speak  at  the  close  of  this 
lady's  remarks,  and  if  I  could  not  speak  with  her 
consent  would  speak  anyway.  The  permission 
was  gladly  granted.  So,  arising,  I  said  I  thought 
it  was  very  poor  taste  for  a  person  to  visit  this 
country  from  a  foreign  land  and  speak  disparag- 
ingly of  our  men  in  the  Navy,  and,  if  I  held  my 
peace  at  that  time,  should  not  consider  myself  fit 
to  hold  the  commission  I  held  as  an  officer.  I 
knew  my  men  better  than  she  did,  and  I  rather 
scoffed  at  the  idea  that  she  should  say  that  the 
143 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


whole  of  Europe  was  looking  with  envious  eyes 
upon  the  State  of  Maine  on  account  of  the  control 
they  had  in  that  State  of  the  liquor  traffic ;  but  I 
excused  her,  because,  before  visiting  the  State  with 
the  fleet,  I  was  almost  as  big  an  idiot  as  she  was, 
as  I  actually  believed  rum  could  not  be  bought 
there.  Then,  continuing,  stated  that  I  had  visited 
the  hotels  with  friends  to  get  our  meals,  and  if 
any  wanted  liquor  to  drink  they  would  sign  a  card 
for  the  waiter  and  he  would  take  it  out  and  return 
with  a  sealed  package  known  as  a  package  of 
mystery ;  and  instead  of  complimenting  the  police- 
men as  she  had  done,  she  should  have  urged  every 
resident  of  that  community  to  see  that  they  were 
turned  out  of  office,  as  our  men  were  not  to  blame 
for  getting  intoxicated  the  day  before — the  fault 
lay  with  those  very  policemen  she  had  praised,  for 
they  had  failed  to  enforce  the  law  that  the  people 
had  made.  I  would  not  say  a  word  against  prohi- 
bition, but  I  have  yet  to  see  where  the  benefit  of 
that  law  comes  in.  The  law  itself  is  all  right,  but 
the  enforcing  of  it  is  all  wrong ;  so  my  idea  was 
that  if  they  were  very  anxious  to  cross  swords 
with  the  saloon  and  defeat  it,  there  was  a  way 
they  could  accomplish  their  purpose  much  sooner 
than  mixing  up  with  politics,  as  politics  and  rum 
are  too  closely  united.  My  opinion  for  putting  a 
competent  rival  in  the  field  to  compete  with  the 
gin-mill  was  to  erect  a  coffee  house  next  door  to 
144 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


these  dens  and,  in  place  of  the  liquor  that  made 
the  saloon  the  curse  it  was,  put  in  coffee,  lemon- 
ade, milk,  tea,  and  such  like,  and  have  these  rooms 
in  charge  of  men  with  a  similar  disposition  to  that 
the  saloon  keepers  were  blessed  with;  for  if  it 
was  not  natural,  they  usually  managed  to  manu- 
facture it  for  the  occasion,  as  the  saloon  keeper 
was  always  a  hail  fellow,  well  met.  The  majority 
visiting  the  saloons  did  it  simply  for  the  sake  of 
company  and  pastime,  and  if  they  could  find  the 
inducements  the  saloon  held  out  to  them  in  other 
places,  they  would  very  soon  abandon  the  saloons 
and  visit  the  better  resorts.  These  remarks 
caused  a  great  deal  of  stir  in  the  meeting,  for  I 
was  talking  there  against  great  odds,  as  nearly  all 
of  the  eight  hundred  people  present  were  in  favor 
of  prohibition ;  still,  at  times  they  freely  applaud- 
ed some  of  my  remarks. 

We  left  Bar  Harbor  with  orders  to  visit  the 
Southern  Drill  Grounds,  and  at  that  time  Spain 
did  her  utmost  to  prevent  the  Squadron  appearing 
off  the  coast  of  Cuba;  the  orders  were  issued, 
however,  for  the  fleet  to  proceed  to  Dry  Tortugas. 
That  was  even  distasteful  to  Spain ;  no  attention, 
though,  was  paid  to  what  she  did  or  said ;  for  the 
orders  were  carried  out.  The  "Texas"  touched 
at  the  New  York  Navy  Yard  and  remained  there 
for  two  weeks. 

Our  Commanding  Officer  was  relieved  October, 

145 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


1897,  and  Captain  J.  W.  Philip,  U.  S.  N.,  was 
assigned  to  the  command.  He  was  a  tremendous 
help  to  me  in  my  religious  work,  and  the  first 
Sunday  we  held  services  while  at  the  Yard,  Mrs. 
Philip  came  on  board  and  sang  for  our  men.  She 
is  blessed  with  as  sweet  a  voice  as  I  have  ever 
listened  to,  and  we  all  heartily  appreciated  and 
enjoyed  her  kindness  in  condescending  to  sing  for 
us. 

We  were  ordered  from  the  Navy  Yard  to  join 
the  Flag  off  Key  West,  which  we  did.  Arriving 
there  the  third  Sunday  morning  in  November,  we 
anchored  for  a  few  hours,  and  the  ships  carrying 
Chaplains  held  service  at  the  usual  hour.  Ours 
was  held  on  the  quarter  deck  under  the  awning, 
as  it  was  a  beautiful  day,  in  fact,  it  was  more  like 
an  August  day  would  be  North.  We  proceeded  to 
Dry  Tortugas  and  came  to  anchor;  had  various 
manoeuvres,  and  at  times  would  weigh  anchor 
and  cruise  around  the  Gulf  for  practice. 

After  being  there  three  days,  the  lookout  an- 
nounced that  the  battleship  "Maine"  was  ap- 
proaching. She  came  right  near  us  and  was  or- 
dered to  anchor  off  our  port  quarter.  The  signal 
was  then  displayed  on  the  "New  York"  directing 
the  "Indiana"  and  the  "Texas"  to  transfer  the  ap- 
prentice boys  they  had  on  board  intended  for  the 
"Maine."  The  "Indiana"  had  thirty-nine  boys; 
we  had  eighteen.  The  former  ship  transferred 
146 


THE   LATE   ADMIRAL   PHILIP,   U.  S.  NAVY. 
Taken  When  He  Commanded  the  "  Texas." 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


them  as  ordered,  but  the  signal  went  up  directing 
us  to  defer  transferring  ours  until  morning,  so  the 
boys  had  to  pick  up  their  bags  and  hammocks  and 
go  below.  They  were  very  much  disappointed, 
and  exceedingly  so  that  night,  when  they  learned  a 
torpedo  boat  had  come  down  from  Key  West  with 
orders  for  the  "Maine"  to  put  to  sea,  and  at  day- 
light the  next  morning  she  left,  without  our  ap- 
prentices going  aboard.  We  knew  not  where  she 
had  gone;  all  were  of  the  opinion,  though,  that 
she  had  gone  to  Havana.  That  was  the  last  we 
saw  of  the  "Maine"  as  a  ship  of  our  Navy. 


147 


CHAPTER  V. 

BLOWING  UP  OF  THE  "MAINE." 

THE  "Maine"  had  been  at  Havana  some 
weeks,  and,  while  the  fleet  was  still  off 
Dry  Tortugas,  it  appeared  in  the  New 
York  newspapers  that  she  would  proceed  to  New 
Orleans  to  participate  in  the  Mardi  Gras  celebra- 
tion  and   the   "Texas"   would   go   to   Havana. 
Those  orders,  however,  were  revoked,  and  we 
were  ordered  for  the  second  time  to  Galveston, 
where  we  were  received  with  just  as  much  cere- 
mony as  we  had  been  on  the  previous  visit  and 
were  taken  care  of  just  as  cordially  as  we  were 
the  year  before.    We  arrived  off  the  bar  on  the 
morning  of  February  I5th,  1898,  and  went  in- 
side, coming  to  anchor  about  half  past  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.     Most  of  the  officers 
went  ashore  to  a  reception  that  was  to  be  ten- 
dered them.     A  storm  came  up  while  we  were 
there,  which  prevented  our  getting  back  to  the 
ship,  so  we  put  up  at  the  Tremont  House.    Re- 
tiring about  midnight,  we  were  awakened  at  1 :2O 
A.M.  by  some  one  knocking  on  the  door.    Arising, 
we  found  four  young  men,  who  inquired  whether 
149 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


we  were  officers  from  the  "Texas."  We  told 
them  we  were.  Then  they  said:  "Well,  gentle- 
men, we  have  bad  news  for  you.  We  are  re- 
porters, and  have  called  to  inform  you  that  the 
'Maine'  blew  up,  in  the  harbor  of  Havana,  at  9:15 
last  night."  We  looked  at  them,  dumfounded. 
At  last  one  of  the  officers  said:  "We  appreciate 
your  kindness  in  coming  to  inform  us;  but  we 
are  from  New  York,  the  birthplace  of  yellow 
journalism,  and  don't  wish  it  to  follow  us  down 
here.  We  cannot  believe  the  'Maine'  has  blown 
up."  So,  wishing  them  good  night,  we  tried  to 
get  a  little  rest,  but  none  came  to  us.  We  talked 
about  the  possibilities  of  the  "Maine"  having 
blown  up.  One  of  the  officers  said :  "Well,  if  she 
has,  there  is  treachery  at  the  bottom  of  it." 

Leaving  the  hotel  at  six  in  the  morning,  upon 
reaching  the  street  we  found  the  newsboys 
busy  selling  their  papers.  We  bought  one  or  two, 
and,  glancing  over  the  article  on  the  "Maine,"  to 
our  horror  found  it  only  too  true.  The  "Maine" 
had  blown  up,  for  no  newspaper  could  manufac- 
ture so  accurate  a  description  of  the  ship,  giving 
the  names  of  the  missing,  as  these  had.  Buying 
several  more  papers,  we  returned  to  the  ship,  tak- 
ing with  us  the  first  news  of  the  destruction  of 
the  "Maine."  Our  Captain  met  us  on  the  quarter 
deck  and,  as  we  handed  him  a  newspaper,  he 
looked  at  it.  His  face  turned  deathly  pale.  Then, 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


addressing  us,  he  said:  "If  that  is  true,  we  will 
see  war  before  we  see  New  York."  We  talked 
much  about  the  "Maine,"  and  all  were  of  the 
opinion  that  it  was  very  suspicious  that  she  should 
have  blown  up  in  the  harbor  of  Havana.  Know- 
ing how  we  were  detested  by  the  Spaniards, 
everything  pointed  to  a  most  fiendish  crime. 
After  I  had  taken  my  breakfast,  I  went  up  for- 
ward to  the  men,  and  found  them  busily  engaged 
reading  the  papers  we  had  sent  to  them.  As  soon 
as  I  reached  the  berth  deck,  a  number  of  the  crew 
gathered  about  me.  A  lad,  being  one  of  the  ap- 
prentices who  had  been  intended  for  the  "Maine," 
said:  "Chaplain,  if  it  had  not  been  for  Provi- 
dence, I  might  not  have  been  here  now,  as  I  see 
every  boy  that  left  the  'Indiana'  but  two  are  miss- 
ing, and  maybe  our  crowd  would  have  suffered  a 
similar  fate."  It  had  a  good  effect  on  the  appren- 
tices detained  on  our  ship,  and  I  think  made  dif- 
ferent boys  of  all. 

Then  one  of  the  men  spoke  up  and  said:  "Do 
you  really  think,  sir,  the  'Maine'  has  blown  up  ?" 
I  said :  "I  know  as  much  about  it  as  you  do ;  all 
the  information  I  have  is  what  I  have  read  in  the 
paper,  but  I  fear  it  is  only  too  true."  Then  a  lit- 
tle fellow  came  to  me  and  said:  "Chaplain,  do 
you  think  if  she  has  been  blown  up,  the  Dagoes 
(sailor  term  for  Spaniards)  did  it?"  I  said:  "I 
don't  know  that  either,  my  boy."  Then,  clinching 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


his  fist,  he  stamped  his  foot  on  the  deck  and  said : 
"Well,  I  pity  them  if  they  did,  should  they  ever 
run  in  with  the  Texas.' "  I  looked  at  him,  and 
wondered  what  that  little  mite  of  a  fellow  would 
do,  if  perchance  we  should  go  to  war. 

We  received  orders  from  Washington  to  stand 
by  ready  for  sea  at  six  hours'  notice,  but  no  orders 
came.  So  we  spent  the  week  at  Galveston,  as  it 
was  first  intended  we  should.  It  was  a  sad  sight 
in  the  harbor  the  day  after  the  destruction  of  the 
"Maine."  Ships  of  every  nationality  had  their 
colors  at  half-mast.  Half-mast  flags  were  flying 
over  every  store  and  House  in  the  city ;  everything 
seemed  to  speak  the  word  "death"  wherever  we 
went;  and  our  hearts  were  filled  with  sorrow  as 
we  remembered  the  widows,  the  fatherless  chil- 
dren, and  the  mothers  who  had  lost  their  boys  on 
that  noble  ship  of  ours. 

When  we  returned  to  Dry  Tortugas,  we  found 
that  every  preparation  was  made  for  war;  every 
precaution  taken,  so  that  an  enemy  could  not  steal 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  take  ad- 
vantage of  us.  The  channels  were  patrolled  by 
the  picket  boats,  and  a  regular  signal  system  was 
inaugurated  for  the  occasion.  On  Sunday,  Feb- 
ruary 27th,  I  preached  a  memorial  sermon  to  our 
men  and  officers,  and  was  greeted  by  the  largest 
turnout  of  men  that  any  Chaplain  had  ever  had 
the  pleasure  of  addressing  on  board  a  sea-going 
152 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


ship — every  man  of  our  crew  being  present  ex- 
cepting those  who  were  compelled  to  be  on  duty. 
This  service  was  held  off  Dry  Tortugas.  While 
in  the  city  of  Galveston,  I  got  out  memorials  in 
the  form  of  an  invitation  and  sent  one  to  every 
member  of  our  crew,  so  that  he  could  keep  it  and 
remember  the  warning  that  came  so  forcibly  to  all 
of  us  by  the  sudden  ushering  of  our  comrades  into 
eternity.  On  the  front  of  the  Memorial  were  the 
words:  "In  Memoriam  Officers  and  Men  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  'Maine.'  '"  On  the  inside  was  inscribed : 

BATTLESHIP  "TEXAS/'  OFF  GALVESTON, 

February  2ist,  1898. 

By  the  consent  of  the  Commanding  Officer,  the 
Chaplain  of  this  ship  will  conduct  Memorial  Ser- 
vices on  board  at  10 130  Sunday  morning,  Febru- 
ary twenty-seventh,  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety- 
eight,  in  memory  of  the  gallant  men  who  lost  their 
lives  in  the  terrible  catastrophe  which  befell  the 
"Maine"  on  the  evening  of  the  fifteenth. 

Out  of  respect  to  our  noble  dead,  I  invite  you  to 
participate  by  your  presence  in  the  sad  services. 
Yours  in  our  Country's  Sorrow, 
HARRY  W.  JONES, 

Chaplain  U.  S.  Navy. 

Around  this  invitation  was  a  deep  black  mar- 
gin.   They  were  sent  to  the  Commanding  Officers 
153 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


of  all  the  ships  present,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
and  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  he  be- 
ing Captain  A.  S.  Crowninshield,  U.  S.  N.,  who 
was  the  "Maine's"  late  Commander.  He  sent  me 
this  very  kind  note : 

DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  NAVY,  BUREAU  OF  NAVIGA- 
TION, WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

February  28th,  1898. 
CHAPLAIN  HARRY  W.  JONES,  U.  S.  N.,  U.  S.  S. 

"TEXAS,"  KEY  WEST,  FLA. 
My  Dear  Jones: 

I  only  send  you  a  line  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  notice  signed  by  yourself,  announcing 
the  Memorial  Services  held  on  board  the  "Texas" 
in  memory  of  the  gallant  men  who  lost  their  lives 
on  board  the  "Maine."  All  of  which  is  very  much 
appreciated  by  myself  and  other  officers  of  the  De- 
partment. 

With  kindest  regards,  believe  me, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 
A.  S.  CROWNINSHIELD. 

The  "New  York"  and  the  "Iowa"  had  returned 
to  Key  West,  so  that  the  Admiral  could  be  in  easy 
communication  with  the  Department.  This  left 
Captain  Philip  Senior  Officer  present.  We  re- 
mained as  such  for  several  days  when  the  "New 
York"  and  the  "Iowa"  were  seen  approaching. 
154 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


The  "Iowa"  was  flying  the  Senior  Officer's  pen- 
nant, as  Captain  Sampson  was  the  Senior  Captain 
of  all  the  Captains  in  those  waters.  Our  Senior 
Officer's  pennant  was  immediately  run  down,  but 
we  could  not  understand  what  had  happened  to 
the  Admiral.  We  were  of  the  opinion,  however, 
that  he  was  either  sick,  dead,  or  had  gone  to 
Washington  to  consult  with  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment; but  found  out  later  that  he  was  seriously 
ill,  and  Captain  Sampson  had  been  ordered  to  re- 
lieve him. 

About  the  middle  of  March,  we  had  orders  to 
proceed  to  Newport  News  for  coal,  which  we  did, 
and  just  as  the  lighters  came  alongside,  we  had 
orders  to  defer  coaling  until  the  next  day.  At 
nine  o'clock  that  night,  however,  we  received  our 
orders  to  proceed  to  the  New  York  Navy  Yard 
for  work  on  our  turrets.  As  I  mentioned  before, 
our  great  guns  worked  very  slowly  for  modern 
warfare,  and  Lieutenant  Francis  J.  Haesler, 
U.  S.  N.,  who  had  charge  of  the  starboard  twelve- 
inch  turret,  and  Lieutenant  Mark  L.  Bristol, 
U.  S.  N.,  who  had  charge  of  the  port  turret,  with  a 
great  deal  of  tenacity  had  devised  a  scheme  which 
had  been  submitted  to  the  Department  for  their 
consideration,  for  remodelling  the  system  of 
operating  our  turrets.  This  plan  was  approved, 
and  we  were  granted  six  days  and  nights  for 
working  on  them.  The  old  system,  which  con- 
155 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


sisted  of  a  hydraulic  rammer  outside  the  turret, 
only  allowing  the  guns  to  be  loaded  in  two  posi- 
tions, was  taken  out,  and  a  telescopic  rammer  was 
placed  inside  of  the  turret,  so  that  it  followed  the 
gun  wherever  it  went,  permitting  it  to  be  loaded 
in  any  position.  After  six  days'  faithful  work, 
the  system  was  completed.  Then  we  had  orders 
to  paint  the  ship  a  dark  gray  color,  and  we  knew 
that  war  was  expected. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  April,  we  left  the  Navy 
Yard  at  8:10  A.M.  The  Brooklyn  Bridge  was 
crowded  with  people,  all  along  the  docks  to  the 
Battery  were  packed  with  the  most  enthusiastic 
crowds,  who  shouted  and  cheered  for  us  as  we 
steamed  by.  The  ships  and  the  vessels  in  the  har- 
bor saluted  us  in  a  grand  manner  until  we  were 
out  of  hearing  distance  of  the  blowing  of  their 
whistles.  We  arrived  at  Cape  Henry  Light-house 
the  next  morning  at  6:45  an^  proceeded  to 
Hampton  Roads,  where  we  anchored  at  9 : 50  and 
saluted  the  flagship  "Brooklyn"  with  eleven  guns, 
opposite  Fort  Monroe,  and  that  morning  became 
a  part  of  the  Flying  Squadron,  which  consisted  of 
the  U.  S.  S.  "Brooklyn,"  flagship;  battleships 
"Massachusetts"  and  "Texas";  cruisers,  "Co- 
lumbia" and  "Minneapolis." 


156 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FORTY-EIGHT  HOURS'  LEAVE. 

ON  the  ninth  of  April,  a  Spanish  merchant- 
man passed  up  the  Roads  and  saluted 
the  Squadron  by  dipping  his  flag.  This 
being  Sunday,  we  held  divine  service  on  board. 
Mrs.  Philip,  wife  of  the  Commanding  Officer, 
was  present,  and  sang.  All  the  married  officers, 
excepting  myself,  had  their  families  at  one  of  the 
hotels  at  Fort  Monroe.  We  were  allowed  to  leave 
the  ship  every  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  for  one 
hour.  Whenever  we  went,  all  the  officers  would 
try  and  tease  me  about  not  having  my  family 
with  me;  but  jokingly  I  would  reply:  "Never 
mind,  wait — maybe  you  would  rather  yours  were 
not  with  you  a  little  later  on."  An  order  had  been 
given  that,  should  a  gun  be  fired,  it  would  mean 
that  the  Squadron  would  proceed  to  sea  within 
an  hour,  as  we  were  standing  by  for  one  hour's 
notice. 

Wednesday,  the  thirteenth,  the  gun  was  fired. 
The  windows  at  the  hotels  went  up,  and  the  ladies 
were  seen  looking  out  at  us,  and  in  a  little  while 
they  were  all  down  upon  the  beach ;  some  getting 
in  the  launches  from  the  ships,  others  hiring 
157 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


private  boats  to  take  them  off  to  the  vessel  where 
their  husbands  were.  As  they  approached  us,  the 
officers,  as  they  walked  up  and  down  the  decks, 
watched  them.  I  said:  "Well,  gentlemen,  don't 
you  wish  the  madam  was  in  New  York,  or  some- 
where else  just  now?"  They  said :  "Never  mind ; 
they  are  not  there."  I  said:  "No,  but  mine  is." 
It  was  so  good  to  get  even  with  them.  We  were 
going  to  sea  under  sealed  orders,  and  when  the 
time  came  for  the  ladies  to  leave  the  ship,  it  was  a 
very  sad  parting  indeed.  They  wept  bitterly  at 
the  thought  of  perhaps  never  meeting  the  one  they 
loved  again,  and  when  they  were  told  to  leave  the 
ship,  it  seemed  as  though  they  could  not  give 
their  loved  ones  up.  Caressing  each  other,  they 
bade  one  another  an  affectionate  farewell,  leaving 
each  to  the  tender  mercies  and  watchfulness  of 
God. 

As  the  Squadron  got  under  way,  we  went  very 
slow  until  the  Cape  was  reached,  but  no  one  was 
aware  of  our  destination.  As  we  neared  Cape 
Henry,  we  put  on  a  little  more  speed  and,  instead 
of  heading  south,  as  we  expected  to,  we  headed 
north.  Then  we  began  to  try  and  surmise  what  it 
meant.  One  officer  said:  "We  are  going  up 
around  the  coast  of  New  England,  as  they  are 
pretty  scared  up  there,  and  that  is  going  to  be  our 
part  should  we  have  war  with  Spain."  At  seven 
o'clock  that  evening,  the  signal  went  up  on  the 
158 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


flagship,  "Come  to  anchor."  Of  course  this  was 
mysterious,  but  one  of  the  officers  offered  a  very 
good  solution  of  the  problem  by  saying  that  in  all 
probability  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Commodore 
to  remain  there  until  after  dark,  then  he  would  put 
out  to  sea,  and,  after  having  gone  out  some  dis- 
tance, would  head  south,  so  that  no  one  would 
find  out  where  we  had  gone,  and  thus  steal  a 
march  on  the  Press.  We  remained  at  anchor 
until  9:30  the  next  morning,  when  the  flagship 
ordered  us  to  heave  up  our  anchor  and  follow  the 
flag.  The  sea  was  very  rough,  and  our  gun  decks 
were  flooded  frequently.  General  quarters  was 
sounded  and  we  had  battery  drill  and  manceuver- 
ing  in  different  forms  until  eleven  that  morning, 
when  we  again  came  to  anchor.  At  two  o'clock 
we  got  under  way  again  for  similar  drills,  com- 
ing to  anchor  at  5  P.M.  We  were  tired  from  our 
day's  exercises,  and  turned  in  early,  but  at  nine 
o'clock,  sharp,  the  alarm  was  sounded  for  general 
quarters.  It  was  only  a  drill. 

The  next  day  was  overcast.  We  had  general 
quarters  and  sub-calibre  practice  at  9:30  A.M., 
got  under  way  before  dinner,  and  headed  for 
Hampton  Roads,  and  at  5:30  P.M.  we  anchored 
off  Old  Point  Comfort,  when  over  came  the  ladies 
again,  delighted  at  the  fact  that  we  had  been  to 
war  and  whipped  the  Spaniards  so  easily  and  all 
had  returned  safe  and  sound.  When  the  officers 
159 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


were  received  back  by  their  wives  and  children, 
their  welcome  was  the  grandest  I  had  ever  wit- 
nessed. We  remained  at  Fort  Monroe,  having 
various  drills  daily.  On  the  nineteenth  things 
began  to  look  as  though  war  was  coming,  so  I 
asked  permission  of  our  Commanding  Officer  to 
apply  for  forty-eight  hours'  leave.  He  consented. 
So,  going  to  the  flagship,  I  saw  the  Commodore 
and  made  known  my  wishes  to  him.  He  received 
me  very  kindly,  but  said :  "Chaplain,  I  am  ex- 
ceedingly sorry  that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
grant  your  request,  as  my  orders  are  to  stand  by 
for  one  hour's  notice,  and  the  fleet  is  apt  to  be 
ordered  out  any  moment ;  but  you  may  telegraph 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  saying  you  have  my 
permission,  and  if  he  grants  it,  then  all  right." 
This  I  did,  and  at  6:30  P.M.  my  request  was 
granted  by  telegram.  Running  down  to  the  pier, 
I  boarded  our  steam  launch  and  made  for  the  ship. 
The  Cape  Charles  boat  was  then  in  sight,  so  rush- 
ing up  our  gangway,  I  informed  the  Officer  of  the 
Deck  that  my  leave  was  granted,  then,  going  to 
the  cabin,  told  the  Captain.  Getting  my  Japanese 
boy  to  hurry  with  my  dress  case  we  hastened  on 
deck,  as  I  had  just  ten  minutes  then  to  catch  the 
boat. 

I  told  the  coxswain  as  I  boarded  the  launch  to 
make  the  best  time  possible  over  to  the  pier  where 
the    Cape    Charles    passengers    landed.      They 
160 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


crowded  on  all  steam,  but  very  soon  the  coxswain 
shouted  to  me :  "The  Cape  Charles  boat  is  headed 
out,  sir."  I  said :  "Never  mind ;  make  for  her." 
He  then  said:  "She  is  going  twice  as  fast  as  I 
can,  sir."  Then  I  told  him  to  give  her  the  toot. 
So  he  blew  our  whistle  four  times.  No  notice  was 
taken  of  it.  He  then  blew  again,  and  the  Cape 
Charles  boat  answered  and  stopped  her  engines 
to  allow  us  to  go  alongside.  They  naturally 
thought  that  the  Commodore  or  some  other  big 
man  was  coming,  so  when  I  got  on  board  I  found 
an  anxious  lot  of  people  watching  to  see  who  was 
coming.  Thanking  the  Captain,  I  said  no  more, 
and  was  glad  to  be  in  New  York  the  next  morn- 
ing at  seven  o'clock,  and  was  delighted  to  reach 
Bensonhurst,  my  home,  at  8:45. 

My  wife  and  babies  were  happy  to  see  me,  but 
the  first  thing  Mrs.  Jones  asked  was :  "When  are 
you  going  away?"  I  said:  "Never  mind  that; 
don't  talk  about  it."  She  was  more  in  the  habit 
of  having  me  absent  than  she  was  of  having  me 
with  her,  and  I  hadn't  the  heart  to  tell  her  that 
fourteen  hours  of  my  leave  was  already  spent  and 
fourteen  hours  more  would  be  required  for  me  to 
return  to  Hampton  Roads,  allowing  me  to  remain 
with  them  only  twenty  hours.  Brief  as  my  visit 
was,  it  was  the  happiest  I  had  ever  spent  with  my 
loved  ones,  as  I  knew  how  to  appreciate  it.  The 
next  day,  at  6  A.M.,  I  had  to  leave  the  house.  My 
161 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


little  boy  was  two  years  old  that  day.  Going  into 
his  room,  where  he  lay  fast  asleep,  I  fondled  him, 
and,  leaving  him,  went  into  the  little  girl's  room, 
and,  as  I  watched  those  two  little  babes  that 
morning,  I  realized  the  solemnity  of  being  a  par- 
ent. I  was  almost  positive  war  was  coming,  and 
I  wondered  whether  I  should  ever  see  those  little 
tots  again,  so,  kissing  them  an  affectionate  fare- 
well, had  to  say  good-by  to  the  wife.  It  was  an 
exceedingly  hard  parting,  but  part  we  must,  and 
I  thought  the  quicker  it  was  done  the  better,  so 
hurried  from  the  house  and  did  not  look  to  the 
right  or  left,  but  kept  my  eyes  straight  ahead  until 
I  reached  the  cars.  It  was  my  custom  when  leav- 
ing home  to  turn  around  and  wave  my  hand  in 
adieu,  but  that  day  I  could  not  do  it.  I  arrived 
at  Fort  Monroe  at  8:10  that  night,  and  when 
reaching  the  ship  was  informed  that  Congress  had 
taken  action,  and  had  sent  the  bill  to  the  Senate 
declaring  war. 

The  next  morning  I  received  a  letter  from 
home,  and  in  it  Mrs.  Jones  informed  me  as  soon 
as  my  little  boy  Harry  had  gotten  up  he  asked  for 
his  papa.  His  mamma  had  to  tell  him  papa  had 
gone  away.  He  seemed  to  doubt  it,  as  he  remem- 
bered I  was  home  the  night  before.  He  wept 
bitterly,  then,  of  his  own  accord,  toddled  over  to 
his  little  chair,  and,  kneeling  down,  put  his  little 
baby  face  in  his  little  baby  hands  and  said :  "Dear, 
162 


MY  LITTLE  SON,   CHARLES  HARRY,  WHEN    THREE 
YEARS  OLD. 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


dear  papa,  come  back."  Getting  up  from  off  his 
knees,  he  went  over  to  the  door,  held  up  his  little 
ringer,  and  said :  "Back,  papa,  papa."  Child-like 
faith;  but  how  it  comforted  me.  Ammunition 
was  gotten  up  and  placed  alongside  of  the  guns ; 
the  men  in  charge  of  them  slept  at  their  post  until 
daylight. 

The  twenty-fourth  was  a  very  stormy  day,  and 
we  learned  of  the  declaration  of  war  with  Spain, 
as  the  bill  had  then  passed  the  House  and  the  Sen- 
ate, and  been  signed  by  the  President.  Govern- 
ment tugs  were  busy  all  day  laying  mines  in  the 
Roads.  We  sent  out,  with  the  other  ships,  at  dark, 
our  steam  launches  armed  with  one-pounders,  to 
do  picket  duty  down  the  Bay. 

The  next  morning  the  "Montgomery"  and 
"Vicksburg"  passed  out  to  sea,  bound  south. 
Our  men  cheered  them  as  they  went,  and  they 
cheered  us  in  return. 

The  thirtieth  was  a  beautiful  day,  and  the  col- 
lier "Merrimac"  passed  out  on  her  way  to  sea. 
We  did  not  know  her  destination,  and  little 
dreamed  how  famous  she  would  be  in  a  little  over 
two  months  from  then. 

May  ist  was  a  beautiful  day.  Held  divine  ser- 
vice on  the  spar  deck,  all  the  wives  of  the  officers 
attending ;  the  men  turned  out  in  goodly  number. 
Mrs.  Philip  again  sang.  That  afternoon  the 
"Scorpion"  joined  the  Squadron,  and  anchored 
163 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


off  our  port  bow.  Our  men  and  all  on  board  were 
greatly  elated  during  the  latter  part  of  this  week 
over  the  news  of  Dewey's  victory,  and  we  all  were 
very  anxious  to  try  our  hand  on  the  other  fleet. 
The  hospital  ship  "Solace"  passed  out  to  sea  and 
the  "Suwanee"  joined  the  Squadron  on  the 
seventh. 

On  Sunday  morning,  May  8th,  we  had  divine 
service,  and  several  visitors  were  present.  Mrs. 
Philip  sang  for  us.  Her  sweet  voice,  with  its 
clear  tone,  began : 

"My  Jesus,  as  Thou  wilt;  oh,  may  Thy  will  be 

mine; 

Into  Thy  hand  of  love  I  would  my  all  resign ; 
Thro'  sorrow " 

Here  she  broke  down  and,  weeping  bitterly,  left 
the  services,  as  it  was  so  hard  to  even  sing  "Thy 
will  be  mine."  It  had  a  tremendous  effect  on  all 
present.  After  the  service,  the  Captain  said: 
"What  did  you  give  her  that  piece  for  ?"  I  said  : 
"Well,  sir,  she  selected  it  herself."  "Well,  it  is 
all  right,  anyhow."  He  said  it  in  a  gruff  manner, 
but  nevertheless,  he  was  thinking  much.  That 
evening  the  "Vesuvius"  came  in  and  anchored. 
From  that  time  on  we  had  sub- calibre  practice 
until  Thursday. 

On  the  ninth  two  transports  went  out  with 
164 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


troops  on  board  headed  for  Tampa,  and  the  way 
they  were  cheered  by  our  men  was  simply  won- 
derful, and  they  cheered  us  just  as  heartily  in  re- 
turn. 

On  the  twelfth  we  heaved  up  our  anchor  and 
put  out  to  sea  for  target  practice,  testing  our 
twelve-inch  guns,  and  fired  five  shots  from  the 
port  one  in  the  morning  and  five  from  the  star- 
board one  in  the  afternoon — the  ten  shots  taking 
nineteen  minutes  to  fire.  The  old  system  would 
have  taken  that  long  to  fire  twice.  Any  shot 
would  have  hit  a  vessel,  so  accurately  were  they 
pointed  at  the  target.  We  got  back  to  Hampton 
Roads  at  seven  o'clock  that  evening,  and  came  to 
anchor.  Spent  a  pleasant  evening.  The  families 
of  the  officers  came  over  to  the  ship  and  remained 
quite  late.  My  thoughts  all  the  time,  though, 
were  carrying  me  off  to  Bensonhurst,  and  I  won- 
dered what  my  loved  ones  were  doing  there. 


165 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  FLYING  SQUADRON  GOES  TO  SEA  UNDER  SEALED 
ORDERS. 

x~~x  UITE  early  the  next  morning,  May  I3th, 
I  I  the  flagship  made  signal  to  be  ready 

V^y  for  sea  at  daylight.  We  immediately 
made  preparations  for  getting 
under  way.  The  order,  however,  was  revoked, 
and  we  were  ordered  to  coal  ship  until  noon,  at 
which  time  the  signal  was  made  directing  us  to  be 
ready  to  sail  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  wives  of  the  officers  came  on  board  at  one 
o'clock  and  remained  until  just  before  our  de- 
parture. They  did  not  seem  to  be  nearly  as  cast 
down  as  they  were  when  we  first  put  to  sea,  on 
April  1 3th,  and,  when  leaving  the  ship,  they  were 
buoyed  up  with  the  hope  that  possibly  a  similar 
experience  would  be  ours  again,  and  that  we 
would  simply  go  outside  for  practice,  and  soon  re- 
turn. There  were  some  tears  shed;  but,  on  the 
whole,  it  was  a  good  thing  that  we  had  gone  out 
under  similar  circumstances  before.  Soon  after 
they  had  left  the  ship,  the  Squadron  got  under 
way,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Minneapolis"  and 
"New  Orleans,"  the  latter  having  quite  recently 
167 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


joined  the  fleet.  As  we  passed  the  Capes,  we 
steered  south  by  east  quarter  east,  which  told  us 
plainly  that  we  were  bound  this  time  for  Cuba. 

All  day  Saturday,  we  made  about  thirteen  and 
one-half  knots.  It  was  a  beautiful  day.  Sunday 
morning  was  as  fine  a  day  as  I  had  ever  experi- 
enced. We  held  divine  services  on  the  quarter 
deck.  I  took  for  my  subject  "Patriotism,"  men- 
tioning to  the  men  that  we  were  at  last  bound,  in 
all  probability,  for  war ;  urging  them  to  be  loyal 
to  their  flag  and  their  country.  At  five  o'clock 
that  afternoon  we  were  off  Charleston,  S.  C,  and, 
as  we  neared  the  bar,  found  a  light-house  tender 
waiting  for  us,  with  despatches  for  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief.  They  also  had  mail  on  board 
for  us  and  we,  in  turn,  sent  mail  ashore  by  them. 
We  got  under  way  as  soon  as  the  orders  were 
read,  when  the  "Brooklyn"  signalled:  "We  are 
bound  for  Key  West  with  all  possible  speed." 
The  "Texas"  started  to  make  thirteen  knots,  but 
we  were  ordered  to  reduce  our  speed  to  eleven 
knots.  Monday  passed  uneventfully.  Tuesday 
was  exceedingly  hot;  the  awnings  were  spread 
and  the  crew  ordered  to  put  on  their  white  uni- 
forms. 

On  Wednesday  morning,  May  i8th,  we  anchor- 
ed off  Key  West  and,  after  partaking  of  break- 
fast, began  coaling  ship.  The  "Scorpion"  came 
alongside  and  coaled  from  the  same  lighter.  The 
168 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


"New  York"  and  "Iowa"  came  in  from  Porto 
Rico,  where  they  had  been  bombarded,  and  an- 
chored near  us.  They  were  both  stained  with  the 
smoke  from  the  powder,  and  it  was  plainly  visible 
they  had  been  in  a  regular  engagement.  The 
"Brooklyn"  saluted  Admiral  Sampson's  flag  with 
thirteen  guns.  The  "New  York"  returned  the 
salute  with  eleven  guns.  We  were  through  coal- 
ing at  eight  o'clock  that  evening,  when  our  men 
immediately  began  to  clean  the  ship.  At  7 130  the 
next  morning,  the  "Brooklyn"  made  signal  to  get 
up  anchor,  as  the  Flying  Squadron  would  pro- 
ceed to  sea.  We  were  again  going  out,  not  know- 
ing where  we  were  bound.  So  Captain  Philip  had 
our  signal  boy  wigwag  his  compliments  to  Ad- 
miral Sampson  on  the  "New  York"  and  state  we 
were  all  interested  in  this  matter,  but  would  like 
to  know  where  we  were  bound,  as  we  were  ignor- 
ant as  to  that ;  and  if  the  Admiral  knew  our  desti- 
nation, we  would  appreciate  it  if  he  would  inform 
us.  The  Admiral  directed  the  signal  boy  of  the 
flagship  to  wigwag  this  message :  "You  are  bound 
for  Cienfuegos,  Cuba,  to  bag  the  Dons ;  and  may 
good  luck  go  with  you!"  This,  of  course,  was 
read  by  every  ship  in  the  fleet.  Our  men  were 
delighted:  they  chased  one  another  around  the 
decks,  jumping  high-backs  and  speculating  with 
each  other  as  to  who  would  get  the  first  shot  at  the 
Spaniards  when  we  met  them.  Soon  after  we 
169 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


left  Key  West,  we  passed  the  "St.  Paul,"  "Mont- 
gomery," 'Indiana,"  and  "Nashville."  The 
"Scorpion"  toward  evening  fell  back  alongside  of 
us,  directing  us  to  steam  with  all  precaution, 
keeping  a  good  lookout  for  the  enemy  during  the 
night.  Should  we  engage  him  and  be  overpow- 
ered, causing  us  to  separate,  we  would  rendezvous 
the  next  morning,  in  such  and  such  latitude.  The 
night,  however,  passed  by  without  our  encounter- 
ing anything  to  disturb  its  quiet. 

The  morning  of  the  twentieth,  while  our  men 
were  at  breakfast,  the  bugle  sounded  to  clear  ship 
for  action.  The  flagship  made  signal,  "Strange 
vessels  on  the  horizon."  Our  magazines  were 
opened,  ammunition  was  speedily  gotten  up,  and 
the  men  began  clearing  the  ship  with  a  ven- 
geance, throwing  tables,  benches,  and  ditty  boxes 
overboard,  but  they  were  told  to  quit  that,  and  it 
was  fortunate  they  were :  as  I  believe  they  would 
have  thrown  the  whole  "Texas"  overboard  that 
morning  to  have  made  room  around  the  guns. 
To  the  discomfort  of  the  officers,  the  first  thing 
that  went  into  the  briny  deep'  was  our  refrigerator 
and  all  our  fresh  provisions,  excepting  what  lit- 
tle could  be  saved.  This  was  an  absolute  neces- 
sity, as  it  stood  right  between  two  of  our  six-inch 
guns  and  the  splinters  would  have  been  very  dan- 
gerous in  action.  We  crowded  on  all  steam,  our 
guns  were  loaded,  and  the  men  strained  their 
170 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


eyes  to  sight  them  on  the  approaching  foe,  but 
waited  for  the  signal  to  commence  firing.  One 
after  another  of  the  gun's  crew  would  state: 
"Well,  I  will  plunk  that  fellow  first."  Another 
would  say:  "No,  you  wont;  I  will."  Those  of 
us  not  engaged  with  the  guns  went  on  deck. 

The  little  fellow  who  had  spoken  to  me  while 
at  Galveston,  saying:  "I  pity  the  Dagoes  if  they 
should  ever  run  in  with  the  'Texas,'  "  came  up  to 
me  and  said :  "Chaplain,  we  have  those  fellows  for 
fair."  I  said:  "How  is  that,  Willie?"  He  re- 
plied: "Can't  you  see,  sir,  it  is  two  to  four?  We 
have  four  ships,  and  the  other  fellow  has  only 
two."  And  sure  enough  he  was  right,  as  there 
were  only  two  volumes  of  smoke  then  in  sight 
above  the  horizon.  We  could  tell  by  the  density 
of  it,  however,  that  the  ships  approaching  were 
warships.  On  they  rushed,  and  on  we  rushed. 
Our  lookout  shouted  down  from  the  top:  "They 
are  cleared  for  action,  sir !  Their  battle  flags  are 
flying,"  and  that  day  we  found  out,  if  never  be- 
fore, the  calibre  of  the  men  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  as  the  two  ships  supposed  to  be  the  enemy's 
proved  to  be  the  "Cincinnati"  and  the  "Vesu- 
vius," our  own  ships.  Two  to  four,  or  really  one 
to  four,  as  the  "Vesuvius"  was  never  intended  to 
fight  a  fleet  at  sea;  she  was  made  to  fire  earth- 
quakes into  Santiago  de  Cuba  after  the  sun  had 
gone  down. 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


When  the  "Cincinnati"  came  near  enough  to  be 
spoken,  our  Captain  shouted  out  to  Captain  Ches- 
ter: "Have  you  seen  anything  of  the  enemy?" 
"Enemy!"  he  replied;  "I  thought  you  were  the 
fellow."  In  fact  they  all  thought  on  those  ships 
we  were  the  enemy,  but  they  rushed  on  to  meet 
us  with  Old  Glory  at  the  fore,  and  sooner  than 
have  lowered  it  those  ships  would  have  gone  down 
with  all  their  gallant  men  on  board,  rather  than 
have  brought  discredit  to  the  flag  by  turning 
to  run  away.  A  large  ship  was  seen  approaching 
under  sail.  The  "Cincinnati"  and  the  "Vesu- 
vius" both  started  to  intercept  her.  We  continued 
on  our  course,  and  during  the  afternoon  made  out 
Cape  San  Antonio  light-house  on  our  port  bow, 
and  about  5:30  that  evening  a  light  from  a 
steamer  was  seen  about  four  miles  distant  toward 
the  shore.  The  "Brooklyn"  flashed  her  search- 
light on  the  vessel,  which  made  some  signal  that 
proved  satisfactory  to  the  flagship,  as  she  was  al- 
lowed to  go  on  her  course  unmolested. 

Things  went  on  quietly  until  seven  o'clock  Sun- 
day morning,  when  we  arrived  off  the  entrance 
to  Cienfuegos  harbor.  We  loaded  our  guns  and 
closed  in,  quite  close  to  shore,  steaming  past  a 
couple  of  small  forts  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 
We  had  orders  to  fire  should  the  enemy  fire  at  us. 
No  shots  were  fired,  however,  as  we  steamed  past, 
but,  as  we  commenced  steaming  out  to  sea  again, 
172 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


a  troop  of  Spanish  cavalrymen  were  seen  in  the 
mountains.  They  began  to  fire  at  us  with  their 
Mauser  rifles.  We  turned  our  guns  as  if  we  were  f 
going  to  fire  at  them,  and  the  way  those  horses  got 
out  of  there,  with  their  brave  riders,  beat  any 
horse  race  you  ever  saw.  At  7 130  the  smoke  of  a 
steamer  was  sighted  to  the  southward  and  shortly 
after  the  flagship  made  signal  to  clear  ship  for 
action.  We  again  made  ready  for  an  engage- 
ment; had  no  fight,  though,  as  the  smoke  came 
from  our  own  torpedo  boat,  "Dupont."  She 
brought  word  to  us  that  the  "Iowa"  would  join 
us  during  the  day,  and  that  afternoon  we  were  re- 
inforced with  that  magnificent  battleship.  We 
were  told  by  her  Captain  that  the  "Castine," 
"Marblehead,"  and  a  collier  would  join  the 
Squadron  very  shortly.  The  "Scorpion"  and 
"Dupont"  went  close  in  shore  that  night  to  watch 
and  block  any  attempt  that  any  Spanish  craft 
might  make  to  get  out.  Three  gun  vessels  and 
some  torpedo  boats  were  reported  inside  of  the 
harbor.  The  sunset  that  evening  was  particularly 
beautiful.  In  fact  it  was  the  grandest  that  I  had 
ever  beheld. 

The  converted  yacht  "Hawk"  came  in  the  next 
morning,  and,  upon  hailing  her  for  news,  we 
learned  that  the  Spanish  fleet  had  arrived  at  San- 
tiago on  the  twentieth  and  was  supposed  to  be 
still  there.  Shortly  after  she  arrived,  the  "Cas- 
173 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


tine"  put  in  an  appearance,  convoying  the  collier 
"Merrimac."  About  noon,  the  former  put  out 
after  a  steamer  that  was  sighted  to  the  eastward 
and  brought  her  in.  A  boat  from  the  flagship 
was  sent  over  to  the  stranger,  and  she  was  soon 
afterwards  allowed  to  enter  the  harbor;  she  was 
the  "Adula,"  a  supposed  English  ship  belonging 
to  the  Atlas  Line.  After  she  had  entered  the 
harbor,  the  "Brooklyn"  signalled  that  the  Span- 
ish fleet  had  left  Santiago  on  Friday  morning  and 
was  believed  to  be  at  Cienfuegos.  If  such  was  the 
case,  we  had  them  in  a  trap,  from  which  there  was 
no  escape,  as  the  harbor  entrance  was  too  narrow 
for  more  than  one  vessel  to  pass  at  a  time.  Dur- 
ing the  night,  the  "Scorpion"  left  us.  The  sig- 
nal lights  of  the  Cubans  and  the  Spaniards  were 
visible  all  through  the  night.  The  next  morning, 
May  24th,  the  "Marblehead"  and  the  "Eagle" 
joined  the  Squadron.  The  former  was  directed  to 
communicate  with  the  insurgents,  who  informed 
Captain  McCalla,  the  Commanding  Officer, 
that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  still  at  Santiago.  Sev- 
eral small  boats  of  the  Squadron  were  engaged 
during  the  day,  trying  to  find  the  remaining 
cable,  but  without  success. 

At  five  o'clock  that  evening  we  left  for  San- 
tiago de  Cuba.    That  night  and  the  day  and  night 
following,  we  encountered  our  first  real  disagree- 
able weather.    About  9:30  P.M.,  on  the  twenty- 
174 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


fifth,  the  "Marblehead,"  which  was  about  two 
miles  ahead  of  the  Squadron,  sent  up  two  red 
lights,  a  signal  meaning  that  a  strange  vessel  was 
sighted.  We  went  to  general  quarters  at  once, 
but  nothing  more  than  a  schooner  proved  to  be 
anywhere  near  us.  On  the  twenty-sixth,  at  9 130 
A.M.,  we  had  general  quarters  simply  for  drill,  and 
in  the  afternoon,  when  nearly  down  to  Santiago, 
we  sighted  three  columns  of  smoke  on  the  hori- 
zon, and  again  went  to  general  quarters.  The 
ships  that  we  had  cleared  for  proved  to  be  the 
"Minneapolis,"  "St.  Paul,"  and  the  "Yale."  Our 
men  said :  "What  do  you  think  of  it,  Chaplain  ?" 
I  replied:  "It  is  exceedingly  good  practice." 
They  said:  "Yes,  practice  that  is  all  right  for  a 
parson;  but  we  want  to  fight."  So  I  reminded 
them  of  Fort  Monroe,  and  told  them  to  have 
patience. 

The  "Yale"  was  commanded  by  our  late  Com- 
manding Officer,  Captain  William  G.  Wise, 
U.  S.  N.,  who  shouted  over  to  Captain  Philip  that 
the  Spanish  fleet  was  inside  of  the  harbor  at  San- 
tiago, but  he  did  not  know  whether  we  could  go  in 
after  them  or  not.  After  awhile,  the  flagship  sig- 
nalled, to  our  amazement,  that  we  would  return  to 
Key  West.  We  went  ahead  until  midnight,  and 
then  stopped.  The  next  day  we  spent  steaming 
around  the  coast,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing the  collier  "Merrimac"  came  alongside  of  us 
175 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


and  we  coaled  until  noon  on  the  twenty-eighth, 
which  was  the  hottest  day  we  had  experienced. 
The  pitch  ran  out  of  the  seams  of  the  deck  like 
water.  The  "Minneapolis,"  "Yale,"  and  "St. 
Paul"  all  left  us  that  day,  each  going  in  different 
directions.  At  5:30  P.M.  we  started  on  what  the 
men  called  dress-parade,  which  was  steaming 
back  and  forth  before  the  forts  of  Santiago,  about 
eight  miles  distant.  This  we  continued  every 
night  until  daylight.  The  cruiser  "Marblehead" 
went  close  in  shore,  but  the  Spaniards  did  not  fire 
a  shot.  The  next  morning,  five  warships  were 
seen  from  the  bridge  of  our  ship,  lying  in  the 
harbor,  and  we  rightly  supposed  that  at  last  we 
had  found  the  Cape  de  Verde  Fleet. 

Held  divine  service  that  morning,  and  at  10 
P.M.  a  ship  near  the  shore  fired  two  red  rockets, 
followed  by  a  green  one.  Our  men  were  sleep- 
ing at  their  guns,  and  in  a  trice  they  were  awake, 
on  their  feet,  and  opened  fire  with  the  second 
battery  upon  what  they  then  supposed  to  be  a 
torpedo  boat.  Whatever  it  was,  it  was  speedily 
demolished  by  the  torrents  of  deadly  missiles  our 
men  poured  into  it.  The  next  morning  the  "Chris- 
tobal  Colon"  was  plainly  visible  all  day,  as  she  lay 
right  across  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  The  morn- 
ing of  the  thirtieth,  we  were  ordered  to  coal 
ship.  The  "New  Orleans"  and  "Sterling"  joined 
the  fleet,  and  early  Tuesday  morning  we  began 
176 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


coaling  ship  again.  At  2:20  P.M.  the  "Massa- 
chusetts" ran  up  Commodore  Schley's  flag,  as  he 
had  transferred  it  from  the  "Brooklyn,"  and,  to- 
gether with  the  "New  Orleans"  and  the  "Iowa," 
steamed  in  to  about  six  miles  from  the  forts,  and 
opened  fire  as  they  passed  twice.  The  "Colon" 
was  still  lying  across  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 
We  immediately  stopped  coaling  as  the  first  shot 
was  fired,  and  cast  loose  from  the  collier.  The 
fleet  ceased  firing  just  then,  and  withdrew.  As 
the  "Iowa"  came  near  enough  so  that  we  could 
speak  to  her,  Captain  Philip  shouted  out  to  Cap- 
tain Evans :  "I  have  been  trying  to  get  the  Chap- 
lain to  swear  for  me."  Captain  Evans  shouted 
back:  "Shoot  the  Chaplain!  I  have  been  doing 
it  myself  all  the  afternoon.  I  have  strained  one 
of  my  twelve-inch  guns  trying  to  hit  the  'Colon.' 
I  think  I  did  hit  her  once.  We  should  have  sunk 
her  though,  but  we  kept  too  far  out."  It  was 
very  amusing  to  see  the  tug  "E.  E.  Simpson,"  of 
Pensacola,  Fla.,  chartered  by  the  New  York  Jour- 
nal, with  a  large  flag  bearing  the  words  "New 
York  Journal"  in  large  letters  flying  at  the  fore, 
steam  in  past  the  Squadron,  full  speed  ahead, 
rushing  toward  the  forts.  She  went  away  inside 
of  the  firing  line,  but  when  the  enemy  fired  on  her, 
the  balls  falling  quite  near  her,  she  came  steaming 
out  like  a  scared  dog.  That  night  it  began  to  rain 
in  torrents,  lasting  two  or  three  hours,  during 
177 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


which  time  we  could  scarcely  see  the  length  of  our 
ship. 

Early  in  the  morning,  four  lines  of  smoke  were 
sighted.  An  hour  later,  the  "New  York,"  flag- 
ship, battleship  "Oregon,"  and  converted  yacht 
"Mayflower,"  together  with  the  torpedo  boat 
"Porter,"  joined  us.  We  greeted  them  with  loud, 
rousing  cheers,  especially  the  "Oregon,"  as  we 
were  aware  of  the  magnificent  run  she  had  made 
from  San  Francisco.  As  soon  as  the  "New 
York"  came  near  enough  to  us,  she  directed  all 
Commanding  Officers  to  report  on  board  for  a 
council  of  war.  Commodore  Schley  and  all  the 
Commanding  Officers  present  immediately  left 
the  ships  to  board  the  flagship. 


ADMIRAL  CERVERA. 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Destroyed  Fleet. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  GOING  IN  OF  THE  "MERRIMAC." 

AT  noon  the  same  day,  our  Commanding 
Officer  returned  from  the  "New  York." 
Coming  on  board,  he  told  the  Officer  of 
the  Deck  to  have  all  hands  called.  Lieutenant  H. 
Phelps,  U.  S.  N.,  the  officer  addressed,  immedi- 
ately called  out:  "Boatswain's  Mate  McCarty!" 
McCarty  shouted  back :  "Aye,  aye,  sir !"  He  was 
told  to  pipe  all  hands  on  deck.  Going  to  the  dif- 
ferent hatchways,  he  piped  his  whistle  and 
shouted  down:  "All  hands  on  deck!"  In  a  few 
minutes  we  were  all  standing  on  the  quarter  deck. 
The  Commanding  Officer,  going  to  the  centre, 
and  looking  at  the  officers,  said :  "Gentlemen,  you 
will  not  be  included  in  the  request  I  am  about  to 
make;  I  wish  to  address  the  men."  We  had  no 
idea  what  was  coming.  The  Captain's  face,  how- 
ever, denoted  that  some  important  business  was 
about  to  transpire.  He  continued :  "We  have  had 
a  council  of  war  on  the  flagship  and  Admiral 
Sampson  intends  to  send  into  the  channel  leading 
into  the  harbor  the  collier  'Merrimac,'  with  the 
intention  of  sinking  her,  in  the  hope  of  locking  the 
enemy  in."  Then,  looking  at  his  crew,  number- 
179 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ing  about  three  hundred  men,  he  continued  thus : 
"The  'Merrimac'  will  be  ready  for  the  attempt 
to-night,  but  will  not  go  in  before  morning,  or  an 
hour  or  so  before  daylight.  The  Admiral  is 
anxious  to  give  each  ship  an  opportunity  of  shar- 
ing the  glory,  or  the  misfortune ;  before  I  say  any 
more,  permit  me  to  state  that  every  man  putting 
his  foot  on  the  deck  of  the  'Merrimac'  to-night 
will  take  his  life  right  in  his  hand."  Here  he 
paused,  then  calmly  said:  "Who  will  represent 
the  Texas'?" 

Had  he  touched  an  electric  button,  every 
hand  could  not  have  gone  up  sooner,  nor  could 
every  throat  have  yelled  out  the  response  quicker : 
"I  will  go,  sir ;  please  let  me  do  it,  sir !"  The  Cap- 
tain, looking  over  the  men,  selected  a  great,  big 
strapping  fellow  by  the  name  of  O'Boyle.  He 
was  an  Irishman;  that  is,  he  was  once,  but  was 
an  American  then;  a  good,  honest,  straightfor- 
ward man,  as  good  a  man,  in  fact,  as  we  had  on 
board  the  ship.  He  was  in  charge  of  the  dyna- 
mos, and  was  thoroughly  reliable.  Later  on  in 
the  day,  I  went  below  to  his  station;  he  was  all 
smiles.  Looking  him  straight  in  the  eye,  I  felt 
very  nervous,  but  ventured  to  say  to  him :  "Well, 
O'Boyle,  I  trust  God  will  be  with  you  to-night." 
His  face  brightened  up,  as  he  replied :  "I  believe 
He  will,  sir;  I  do  not  wish  to  appear  conceited, 
but  you  know,  Chaplain,  I  am  handy  at  nearly 
180 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


anything;  I  can  run  the  engine  or  do  anything 
else  that  will  be  required  of  me  on  board  the 
'Merrimac/  so  I  am  glad  I  am  chosen;  then, 
again,  if  I  am  killed  there  will  be  no  one  to  mourn 
me,  as  I  am  all  alone ;  so  I  can  go  on  board,  and 
am  not  worrying  as  to  how  others  will  feel  about 
me.  I  shall  do  my  best,  however,  to  live.  I  am 
a  fine  swimmer.  If  we  can  only  sink  her,  I  know 
I  can  get  off  all  right." 

The  "Vixen"  came  alongside  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  called  through  her  mega- 
phone, "We  have  come  for  your  volunteer."  We 
all  wanted  to  say  something  to  O'Boyle  before  he 
left,  but  we  did  not  have  the  courage  to. 
He  was  clad  in  his  blue  uniform  as  he  went 
smiling  over  the  side  of  the  ship,  just  as  happy 
looking  as  he  would  be  were  he  going  to  a  re- 
gatta. As  he  left  us,  we  thought:  "That  is  the 
last  we  shall  see  of  you,  poor  fellow."  When  I 
relieved  Lieutenant  Radford,  of  the  Marine 
Corps,  on  the  morning  of  the  second,  to  stand  my 
watch  until  daylight,  as  he  and  I  stood  watch  and 
watch  during  the  blockade — "Should  the  'Merri- 
mac' come  in,  Chaplain,"  he  said,  "please  send 
below  and  call  me."  I  told  him  I  would,  but  no 
"Merrimac"  appeared  that  morning. 

About  10  A.M.  the  "Vixen"  came  alongside, 
lowered  a  boat,  and  O'Boyle  was  rowed  over  to 
the  ship.  As  he  came  on  board,  I  saw  he  was 
181 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


very  chagrined.  Going  to  him,  I  inquired: 
"Why,  what  has  happened?"  He  said:  "Chap- 
lain, I  am  going  to  be  stamped  as  a  coward."  I 
asked  him  why  ?  "Well,  sir,"  he  replied,  "I  went 
over  to  that  ship  last  night  ready  to  die  for  my 
country  if  I  had  to.  They  could  not  get  her 
ready;  another  crew  will  man  her  to-night,  as 
they  say  we  cannot  stand  the  strain  two  nights  in 
succession."  I  looked  at  him  and  took  his  hand, 
trying  to  cheer  him,  answering:  "No,  my  dear 
fellow,  you  are  no  coward ;  you  were  prepared  to 
do  your  duty,  and  you  have  done  it  in  obeying 
your  orders  to  return  to  your  ship."  Very  little 
has  been  said  of  O'Boyle  or  any  other  man  that 
went  on  board  the  "Merrimac"  to  take  her  in  on 
the  morning  of  June  2d,  but  every  one  of  them 
was  just  as  great  a  hero  as  Hobson  or  any  of  the 
men  that  took  her  in  the  morning  of  the  third. 
They  would  gladly  have  gone,  but  a  sailor  or  a 
soldier  can  do  no  more  than  obey  his  orders. 

Soon  after  O'Boyle  returned  to  the  ship,  the 
"Merrimac"  steamed  inside  of  the  blockade  line 
with  her  cargo  ports  open  right  near  her  water 
line.  She  remained  there  until  after  dark  that 
night,  when  she  steamed  outside.  At  I  A.M.  the 
morning  of  the  third,  Lieutenant  Radford  re- 
lieved me.  As  I  went  below,  he  promised  to  have 
me  called  if  the  "Merrimac"  came  in.  I  turned 
in,  and  was  soon  sound  asleep.  At  3:45  an  or- 
182 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


derly  came  below,  and  calling  me  stated,  "The 
'Merrimac'  is  headed  in,  sir."  I  was  soon  dressed, 
and  up  on  deck.  There  she  was,  stealing  along 
right  close  to  the  shore,  hidden  in  the  shadow  of 
the  mountains  the  friendly  moon  had  cast  over 
the  waters ;  for,  by  the  way,  it  was  bright  moon- 
light. She  had  to  pass  an  opening  in  the  side  of  the 
hill  where  the  enemy  had  a  battery,  and  where  we 
expected  to  see  her  sacrificed;  the  whisper  went 
along  the  deck:  "She  has  passed  it;  they  never 
saw  her."  Nor  had  they.  At  last  she  is  headed 
in.  Again  the  whisper  went  around,  "They  don't 
see  her  yet!"  Right  under  the  guns  of  Morro 
Castle  she  got  before  they  picked  her  up,  then  it 
appeared  as  though  their  alarm  had  made  them 
see  sixty-seven  warships  coming  in,  judging  from 
the  way  they  opened  on  her — from  the  north,  the 
east  and  the  west  a  continuous  stream  of  fire ;  it 
was  terrific.  They  kept  it  up  from  4:10  until 
4:28,  and  the  way  they  poured  their  shot  and 
shell  into  her !  I  have  often  wondered  what  they 
thought  when  they  saw  that  great  black  hull, 
looking  like  a  phantom  of  the  deep,  steaming 
slowly  in;  no  sign  of  life  on  board;  not  a  gun 
fired  from  her,  as  she  had  none,  they  having  been 
taken  off  before  she  went  in. 

The  firing  ceased,   and  a  deathlike   stillness 
reigned.    The  general  belief  on  board  our  ship 
was  that  no  man  could  live  in  such  a  fierce  fire 
183 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


as  was  poured  upon  them.  As  the  sun  came  up 
over  the  hill-top,  a  steam  launch  from  the  "New 
York"  was  seen  steaming  about  the  entrance,  bul- 
lets and  shells  falling  all  around  her ;  she  had  fol- 
lowed the  "Merrimac"  in,  with  the  view  of  res- 
cuing the  crew  when  they  should  leave  her.  At 
last  she  withdrew,  coming  alongside  our  ship,  and 
announced  the  belief  that  all  had  perished,  as  they 
had  seen  nothing  of  the  men  from  the  "Merri- 
mac" after  she  went  down.  We  gave  her  crew 
three  rousing  cheers ;  cheers  that  were  caught  up 
and  reiterated  by  the  crew  of  every  ship  of  the 
fleet.  As  we  looked  in  the  harbor,  we  could  see 
the  smoke  stack  and  mast  of  the  "Merrimac" 
above  the  water,  and  discovered,  to  our  sorrow, 
that  the  work  had  been  in  vain :  for  she  was  not  in 
the  channel. 

Our  ships  were  ordered  to  close  in,  as  close  as 
they  could  to  the  shore,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  the 
men,  but  not  a  glimpse  of  any  did  they  see.  A  lit- 
tle after  9  A.M.,  Lieutenant  Bristol,  U.  S.  N.,  was 
making  good  use  of  his  binoculars  as  he  looked 
toward  the  Castle.  I  was  standing  near  him. 
Addressing  me,  he  said :  "Chaplain,  there  are  a 
number  of  soldiers  going  into  the  Castle;  I  be- 
lieve they  have  some  of  our  men" ;  but  it  seemed 
to  me  too  good  to  be  true. 

At  2  P.M.  Ensign  Gise  was  on  the  bridge,  he 
being  on  watch.  Calling  a  messenger,  he  said: 
184 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


"Tell  the  Captain  a  tug  is  coming  out  of  the  har- 
bor, flying  a  flag  of  truce."  The  "Vixen"  was 
ordered  in  to  meet  her,  and  we  were  surprised  to 
see  her  headed  in  toward  the  forts  without  dis- 
playing a  flag  of  truce.  The  reason  for  her  not 
doing  so,  however,  was  owing  to  the  fact  that 
she  had  none,  for  the  only  flag  our  ships  have  ever 
flown  was  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  The  Officer  of 
the  Deck  on  the  "Vixen"  shouted  down  to  the 
ward-room  steward  to  take  the  table  cloth  from 
the  table  and  bring  it  up  on  deck,  and  as  they  ran 
it  up  on  the  masthead,  it  was  the  largest  flag  of 
truce  we  ever  saw.  A  Spanish  officer  boarded  the 
"Vixen,"  from  the  tug,  and  was  taken  over  to  the 
flagship  "New  York."  A  few  minutes  later  we 
found  out  there  was  at  least  one  man,  gentleman, 
and  officer  in  Santiago  de  Cuba,  he  being  Admiral 
Cervera,  who  was  humane  enough  to  recognize  an 
act  of  heroism,  even  when  exhibited  by  his  enemy. 
The  Admiral  sent  this  message  to  Admiral  Samp- 
son: "The  Spanish  Admiral  congratulates  the 
American  Admiral  on  having  such  men  under  his 
command  as  those  that  took  the  'Merrimac'  in  this 
morning ;  he  is  glad  to  state  they  are  all  safe ;  two 
wounded,  but  will  recover;  all  are  badly  in  need 
of  clothes."  The  clothing  was  sent  to  them  from 
the  ships  by  the  tug.  This  act  of  Admiral  Cervera 
endeared  him  to  all  the  fleet,  and  from  that  mo- 
ment he  had  our  undivided  love  and  pity ;  for  by 
185 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


sending  out  this  message  he  prevented  many  a 
heartache  that  would  have  been  felt  by  the  loved 
ones  of  the  crew  of  the  "Merrimac,"  fearing  they 
were  dead. 

The  going  in  of  the  "Merrimac"  goes  to  show 
the  kind  of  material  the  men  of  the  United  States 
Navy  are  made  out  of,  and  I  trust,  as  you  read 
this  description  of  that  heroic  act,  it  will  help  each 
one  of  you  to  appreciate  the  work  these  men  stand 
ready  to  perform  for  their  country  amid  every 
kind  of  danger. 


186 


CHAPTER  IX. 

UNDER  FIRE. 

AT  2 130  the  day  after  the  "Merrimac"  had 
been  sunk  in  the  harbor,  the  fleet  was 
ordered  to  steam  past  the  forts  with  the 
intention  of  trying  to  draw  the  enemy's  fire,  as 
the  Admiral  had  been  ordered  by  the  Department 
not  to  engage  the  forts  unless  they  opened  fire 
first.  As  we  were  steaming  in,  Boatswain  Brooks 
and  Cadet  Pressey  were  standing  on  deck,  quite 
near  the  muzzle  of  our  twelve-inch  gun,  which 
was  loaded.  The  men  in  the  turret  locked  the 
breech,  which  caused  an  electric  cross-current, 
permitting  a  premature  explosion.  The  boat- 
swain and  the  cadet  turned  three  or  four  summer- 
saults, and  when  they  stopped  their  fantastical 
movements  along  the  deck,  we  found  they  were 
nearly  bald-headed,  as  well  as  their  clothes  being 
literally  torn  from  their  bodies ;  blood  was  rush- 
ing out  of  their  ears,  and  they  were  very  badly 
shaken  up  from  the  concussion. 

The  enemy  did  not  fire  at  us,  so  we  steamed 
past  twice  and  then  withdrew.    That  night  Ad- 
miral Sampson  organized  the  blockading  fleet  in- 
to a  half  circle.    We  had  been  in  such  formation 
187 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


before  since  his  arrival,  but  that  night  it  was 
strengthened  by  putting  the  "Oregon"  and  "Mass- 
achusetts" inside  of  our  lines.  The  "Oregon's" 
battery  was  loaded,  and  the  "Massachusetts" 
played  her  search-light  in  the  harbor.  We  re- 
mained there  from  dark  until  sunrise,  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  even  trying  to  come  out.  Inside 
of  those  two  battleships  were  the  torpedo  boats 
and  the  smaller  craft  of  the  fleet.  When  this 
was  done,  Cervera  could  no  more  escape  from  the 
harbor  of  Santiago  at  night  than  a  man  could 
jump  to  the  moon.  It  was  by  far  a  stronger 
system  of  bottling  up  a  fleet  than  the  old  arrange- 
ment carried  on  by  the  Flying  Squadron,  in 
steaming  up  and  down  past  the  forts.  We  re- 
mained in  this  position  during  the  day,  3,700 
yards  from  the  forts.  At  night,  we  would  close 
in  to  2,700  yards,  and  the  two  inside  ships  would 
be  I, (XX)  yards  from  the  enemy's  guns.  This  was 
a  strong  cork  that  Admiral  Sampson  put  into 
the  neck  of  the  bottle  of  the  harbor  leading  into 
Santiago  de  Cuba. 

The  next  morning  all  Commanding  Officers 
were  ordered  to  report  on  board  the  flagship. 
Our  Captain  returned  to  our  ship  late  that  even- 
ing, and  had  all  hands  called  on  deck.  He  in- 
formed us  that  at  daylight  the  fleet  would  bom- 
bard the  forts,  and  if  the  men  had  anything  they 
wished  to  attend  to,  they  had  better  see  to  it. 
188 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Long  and  anxious  had  been  this  waiting  for  the 
opportunity  on  the  part  of  the  men  to  avenge  the 
"Maine";  and  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  they 
were  really  going  into  battle  within  a  few 
hours  they  were  in  the  very  finest  kind  of  spirits. 
In  fact  they  were  in  their  element.  They  ran 
around  the  decks,  jumped  high-backs,  and  car- 
ried on  in  the  most  ridiculous  manner,  so  de- 
lighted were  they  at  the  prospect  of  trying  their 
skill  in  knocking  the  enemy's  forts  to  pieces. 
About  nine  o'clock,  they  began  to  realize  that 
there  might  be  danger  in  exposing  themselves  to 
the  enemy's  fire.  I  was  in  my  room  with  my  cur- 
tain drawn  to  prevent  the  light  being  seen  from 
the  outside.  Hearing  some  one  at  the  door,  I 
called  out,  "Come  in,"  and  in  walked  little  Wil- 
lie. I  said:  "Good-evening,  my  boy,  how  are 
you?"  He  replied:  "I  am  well,  thank  you,  sir; 
hope  you  are."  I  said  I  Was. 

Then  he  said :  "Please,  Chaplain,  will  you  take 
charge  of  this  letter  for  me?"  I  replied:  "Cer- 
tainly;" and  looking  at  it  saw  that  it  was  ad- 
dressed to  Mrs.  George  Rigby.  I  asked  him  if 
he  had  written  to  his  mother?  He  said:  "Yes, 
sir,  and  I  want  you  to  send  that  letter  to  her." 
I  consented,  but  said:  "There  is  no  mail  leaving 
here  until  Friday,  if  all  goes  well  in  the  morning, 
though,  I  will  send  it  then."  This  greatly 
startled  him,  and  he  exclaimed :  "Oh,  please  don't 
189 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


send  that  to  my  mother  unless  I  am  killed  to- 
morrow, sir."  I  said:  "Why  not,  Willie?" 
"Well,  sir,  because  I  told  my  mother  in  that  let- 
ter just  how  I  had  died."  I  looked  at  him,  and 
asked  whether  he  had  been  hit  by  a  shell,  or 
what?  He  said :  "No,  sir ;  but  before  I  left  home 
I  promised  mother  I  would  continue  to  love  Jesus, 
and  I  have,  sir;  and  have  written  to  her,  telling 
her,  if  I  am  killed  to-morrow,  not  to  mourn  for 
me,  as  I  would  go  to  Jesus,  and  wanted  her  to 
hurry  and  come  to  me."  I  said :  "That  is  proper, 
Willie;  but  I  don't  believe  I  will  have  to  send 
the  letter  to  her."  He  said :  "Good-night,  Chap- 
lain," and  went  below. 

A  little  later  on,  a  finely  built  fellow  came  to 
my  room  with  a  large  bundle;  knocking  at  my 
door,  he  said :  "Good-evening,  Chaplain ;  I  hope 
you  are  well,  sir,  and  not  too  badly  scared,  sir." 
"I  am  well ;  but  I  cannot  say  I  am  scared,"  I  re- 
plied. He  spoke  up  and  said :  "Well,  I  can't  say 
that  I  feel  scared  either ;  but  I  thought  I  had  bet- 
ter bring  this  to  you,  and  ask  you  to  keep  it,"  and 
handed  me  the  bundle.  I  said :  "What  is  it  ?"  He 
replied:  "A  keepsake,  sir."'  I  said,  jokingly: 

"For  me?"     He  said:  "No,  sir;  my— my " 

and  stammered  and  blushed.  Finally  he  hurried 
it  out:  "My  young  lady  gave  it  to  me,  sir,  and 
if  I  am  killed  to-morrow,  I  would  like  her  to  get 
it  back,  and  would  appreciate  it  if  you  would 
190 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


send  it  to  her."  I  told  him  I  would,  but,  laugh- 
ing, said :  "I  think  you  are  very  foolish  to  send  it 
back."  He  said:  "Why  is  that,  sir?"  "Why,  be- 
cause if  you  are  killed,  and  I  send  it  to  her,  some 
other  fellow  will  get  it."  "Oh,  no,  he  wont,  sir.  i 
You  don't  know  my  sweetheart,  or  you  would  not 
say  that."  Then,  wishing  him  good-night,  I  told 
him  I  guessed  he  would  live  to  see  her  again. 

After  he  had  gone  an  officer  came  to  me  and 
said:  "Chaplain,  we  are  going  into  action  to- 
morrow, and  I  have  a  kind  of  misgiving  that  I 
may  be  killed,  and  I  want  you  to  promise,  if  I 
am,  to  exert  your  influence  to  have  my  body 
shipped  home.  Were  I  to  be  buried  overboard, 
in  these  waters,  packed  as  they  are  with  sharks, 
my  wife  would  go  out  of  her  mind.  Should  you 
succeed  in  having  my  remains  shipped  home,  tell 
my  wife  she  need  not  have  me  buried  at  Arling- 
ton, but  can  bury  me  anywhere  she  wishes.  Ask 
her  to  bury  me  somewhere  where  she  can  rest  by 
my  side."  I  said:  "Are  you  really  in  earnest?" 
He  replied:  "Certainly,  I  am."  "Well,  then,"  I 
asked,  "what  are  you  fellows  going  to  do  for 
me,  if  I  get  killed,  as  I  do  not  believe  there  is 
any  more  metal  around  me  than  there  is  around 
you ;  but,  to  be  frank  with  you,  I  do  not  believe 
any  of  us  will  be  killed  to-morrow,  as  God  is 
with  us.  When  the  Asiatic  fleet  steamed  into 
Manila  Bay,  it  was  only  Dewey  and  his  men ;  to- 
191 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


morrow  we  steam  in  with  our  Commander-in- 
Chief,  and  our  men,  and  back  of  us  the  prayers 
of  every  praying  man,  woman  and  child  of  our 
country,  and  God  will  answer  their  petitions,  and 
stamp  His  seal  of  approval  upon  them  by  giving 
us  a  glorious  victory.  I  feel  it,  and  believe  it." 
We  then  parted  for  the  night. 

All  hands  were  called  at  daylight  the  morning 
of  the  sixth,  ships  were  cleared  for  action,  maga- 
zines were  opened,  and  the  guns  loaded.  We 
formed  the  line  of  battle  at  8  A.M.,  at  which  time 
the  "Oregon"  opened  fire  upon  the  forts;  a  few 
seconds  later  we  followed  the  example;  and  a 
deadly  fire  was  kept  up  until  twenty-one  minutes 
after  ten,  when  our  last  shot  was  fired.  The  forts 
to  all  appearance  had  been  demolished  in  the  two 
hours  and  twenty-one  minutes  we  were  firing  on 
them.  The  enemy  returned  our  fire  vigorously, 
but  their  aiming  was  simply  ridiculous.  When 
we  headed  in,  bow  on,  fighting  with  our  port 
battery,  a  number  of  us  not  engaged  with  the 
fighting  force  went  on  deck  and  stood  on  the  fore- 
castle. There  were  sixty-five  or  seventy-five  men 
standing  there  in  a  group.  One  fellow  by  the 
name  of  Dixon,  our  ship's  blacksmith,  a  most 
comical  genius,  was  sitting  on  the  capstan  dan- 
gling his  feet,  and  the  first  shell  from  the  enemy, 
going  three  times  as  high  as  our  mast,  was  heard 
and  seen  by  us.  Dixon  pointed  at  it,  shouting 
192 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


out:  "High  ball!" — and  when  it  dropped  about 
two  miles  out  to  sea,  in  a  very  serious,  sancti- 
monious voice,  said :  "The  batter  is  out  on  base," 
which  caused  a  hearty  laugh  to  be  raised  from  all 
hands.  As  the  fleet  was  withdrawing,  the  enemy 
managed  to  find  one  gun  which  had  not  been  dis- 
abled. This  was  placed  in  commission  and  fired 
at  our  ship,  the  shell,  however,  going  away  over 
us. 

Well  do  I  recall  the  articles  which  we  read  in 
the  New  York  papers,  received  a  few  days 
later,  with  copies  of  dispatches  from  Madrid, 
which  had  appeared  in  the  Spanish  newspapers. 
"Tremendous  Spanish  victory  off  Santiago  de 
Cuba!  Forts  were  engaged  by  the  enemy,  who 
lost  three  ships  outside  Santiago  de  Cuba,  and  a 
tremendous  loss  of  American  life  was  sustained. 
Captain  Philip  shot  dead  on  the  bridge  of  the 
'Texas.' "  The  announcement  of  the  Captain's 
death  was  in  three-inch  block  letters  on  the  front 
page,  and  his  picture  was  in  the  centre  of  the 
article.  As  he  opened  the  newspaper,  I  was 
standing  by  his  side;  he  glanced  at  the  paper, 
then,  glancing  at  me,  tried  to  speak,  but  seemed 
appalled,  but  managed  to  utter:  "Chaplain,  that 
makes  me  feel  mighty  peculiar."  I  said :  "I  don't 
doubt  that  in  the  least,  sir ;  but  you  are  a  pretty 
lively  corpse  yet."  Then  we  read  as  follows  this 
article  from  the  New  York  Evening  World: 

193 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"WAS    HE   KILLED    BY    A    SHELL? 

PRESIDENT  GETS  SAD  NEWS 

OF  THE  DEATH  OF  THE 

NAVAL  CAPTAIN  IN 

BATTLE. 

(Special  to  the  Evening  World.) 

"WASHINGTON,  June  8th. 

"The  President  has  just  received  a  telegram 
stating  that  Captain  Philip,  of  the  battleship 
'Texas,'  was  struck  by  a  shell  and  instantly 
killed.  It  is  not  yet  known  whether  this  occurred 
during  Monday's  engagement  or  in  a  subsequent 
action.  The  news  was  brought  to  the  President 
from  the  War  Department.  Senator  Thurston, 
who  saw  the  President,  stated  that  the  dispatch 
announcing  the  death  of  Captain  Philip,  of  the 
battleship  'Texas,'  came  from  Madrid,  and  that 
the  President  does  not  credit  it.  He  has  received 
nothing  from  Sampson  in  regard  to  it." 

As  regards  the  loss  of  life  sustained  by  us, 
very  little,  if  anything,  has  ever  been  written  on 
that  subject;  but  a  great  deal  of  merriment  was 
excited  when  Blanco,  in  his  dispatch  to  Madrid, 
announced  the  engagement  at  Matanzas,  inci- 
dentally mentioning  that  he  had  lost  a  mule  in 
the  fight.  I  believe  that  yarn,  as  I  really  think  a 
194 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


mule  was  killed,  and  I  would  not  be  surprised  if 
his  rider  and  several  other  mule  drivers  were 
killed  in  that  self-same  action. 

There  were  two  lives  sacrificed  in  this,  our 
first  engagement  off  Santiago  de  Cuba — one  on 
the  "Iowa,"  the  other  on  the  "Texas."  Captain 
Evans,  when  going  to  his  post  on  the  bridge  that 
morning,  had  the  misfortune  of  allowing  his  lit- 
tle pet  dog  to  follow  him  from  the  cabin ;  it  was 
a  pretty  little  Scotch  terrier,  which,  when  the 
"Iowa"  opened  fire,  ran  along  the  deck  as  fast  as 
its  little  legs  would  permit ;  and  when  it  came  to 
the  end  of  the  ship  forgot  to  stop,  went  over- 
board, and  was  drowned.  That  was  life  number 
one.  On  the  "Texas,"  we  had  a  little  English 
fox  terrier  by  the  name  of  Daisy,  the  pet  of  the 
ship.  When  the  men  had  to  drill  the  dog  would 
take  her  place  in  the  front  line,  and  at  sunset,  at 
colors,  when  all  hands  would  stand  at  attention, 
the  dog  would  stand  up  on  its  hind  legs,  always 
facing  the  colors  with  the  men.  This  dog,  to  the 
sorrow  of  all  on  board,  fell  in  a  fit  when  our 
guns  commenced  to  roar,  and  by  the  time  the 
fit  was  over  our  dear  little  friend  was  no  more, 
so  she  was  committed  to  the  deep  by  her  many 
shipmates,  and  many  a  tear  was  shed  by  the  men 
as  she  sank  from  their  view.  So  the  loss  sus- 
tained that  day  turned  out  to  be  two  dogs.  Dur- 
ing this  fight,  it  did  not  appear  to  us  that  we  were 
195 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


in  action.    It  was  more  like  a  regular  target  prac- 
tice. 

The  next  day  the  converted  yacht  "Gloucester" 
brought  us  some  mail.  The  ninth  was  the  hot- 
test day  on  record,  and  a  very  slow  one,  too,  but 
on  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  the  "Yosemite"  and 
the  "Panther"  came  in  from  Tampa,  the  latter 
having  900  U.  S.  marines  on  board.  She  left 
later  for  Guantanamo,  which  the  "Marblehead" 
and  the  "Dolphin"  had  captured  for  a  coaling 
station;  and  it  was  the  intention  to  land  the 
marines  there.  These  men  had  been  on  board 
ship  several  days  and  were  delighted  to  find 
mother  earth,  even  in  the  enemy's  country.  The 
"Texas"  was  ordered  there  a  little  later,  for 
coal,  and  upon  our  arrival  we  found  the  marines 
encamped  on  a  little  hill,  which  they  had  called 
Camp  McCalla.  They  had  thrown  up  slight 
breastworks,  as  protection  from  the  Spanish 
sharp-shooters ;  and  if  they  had  not  done  this,  it 
would  have  appeared  more  like  a  summer's 
camp  than  a  camp  pitched  on  a  battle-field.  We 
coaled  from  the  collier  "Abarenda"  until  3  P.M., 
when  we  shoved  off  and  went  back  to  Santiago  to 
take  our  place  on  the  blockade  line,  arriving  there 
just  about  dark. 


196 


<    H 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  BURIAL  UNDER  FIRE. 

AT  3:30  A.M.,  on  Sunday,  June  I2th,  we 
started  for  Guantanamo  to  finish  coal- 
ing. We  knew  the  previous  night  the 
ship  would  return  there  in  the  morning,  and 
that,  being  Sunday,  I  would  not  be  able  to  hold 
divine  service  on  board  ship,  as  the  regulations 
say :  "Divine  service  shall  be  conducted  on  board 
ships  carrying  a  Chaplain,  should  weather  and 
other  circumstances  permit,"  so  I  intended  ask- 
ing permission  to  visit  one  of  the  ships  at  Guan- 
tanamo, carrying  no  Chaplain,  or  else  try  to 
visit  the  camp  and  speak  to  the  marines.  I  was 
in  my  room  about  7:30  A.M.  and  had  my  Bible 
open,  reading  a  chapter,  in  preparation  for  the 
expected  service.  While  I  was  thus  engaged,  I 
heard  a  very  rapid  volley  firing.  Jumping  from 
my  room  into  the  passage-way,  I  ran  along  it 
and  up  the  ladder  leading  to  the  deck.  As  my 
head  appeared  above  deck,  I  noticed  a  young 
man  in  citizen's  clothes  running  as  fast  as  he 
could  toward  our  six-inch  gun  house,  where  all 
the  sailors  had  gathered.  They  shouted  to 
197 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


me :  "Look  out,  Chaplain,  the  Dagoes  are  on  the 
beach  shooting  at  us,  and  if  they  hit  you,  you  will 
get  it  in  the  head."  Turning  back,  I  went  down 
the  ladder  quicker  than  I  ever  went  before, 
reaching  the  next  deck  in  about  two  steps.  After 
the  firing  ceased,  I  returned  on  deck,  and  found 
that  the  young  man  whom  I  had  seen  running 
had  been  hit  in  the  toe  of  his  shoe,  which  was 
of  very  bright  russet  leather,  in  fact  it  was  too 
yellow  to  be  punctured — he  was  a  New  York 
Journal  reporter. 

Just  as  I  reached  the  deck,  Captain  McCalla 
came  alongside  in  his  gig  from  the  "Marble- 
head,"  and  informed  us  that  the  marines  had  had 
a  most  trying  experience  during  the  night,  hav- 
ing been  fiercely  attacked  by  the  enemy.  Three 
men  were  dead  at  the  camp,  and  thirty-nine  others, 
and  an  officer,  were  still  missing,  and  he  did  not 
know  whether  they  were  dead,  captured,  or  sim- 
ply detained  in  the  thicket.  Lieutenant  Cyrus 
Radford,  of  the  U.  S.  Marine  Corps,  asked  Cap- 
tain Philip  to  allow  him  to  visit  the  camp  with 
his  Marine  Guard,  numbering  forty-one  men,  to 
render  Lieutenant-Colonel  Huntington  any  as- 
sistance that  they  could.  The  permission  was 
granted,  and  the  marines  were  ordered  to  be 
ready  to  board  the  boats  to  go  over  to  the  camp. 
Captain  Philip  sent  over  two  of  our  Colt's  auto- 
matic guns,  which  are  capable  of  firing  378  times 
198 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


a  minute — the  two  making  756  shots  every  sixty 
seconds  for  the  enemy.  These  guns  he  sent  with 
his  compliments  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hunting- 
ton.  While  the  marines  were  preparing  to  leave 
the  ship,  I  asked  the  Captain  if  he  would  allow 
me  to  accompany  them,  and  render  any  service  I 
could  to  the  men  who  had  been  wounded  over 
there,  or,  at  least,  bury  the  dead,  if  they  had  not 
already  been  buried.  He  gladly  consented.  As 
the  marines  went  over  the  side  of  the  ship  and 
Lieutenant  Radford  was  about  to  descend  the 
ladder,  I  stepped  up  to  the  Officer  of  the  Deck, 
and,  saluting  him,  told  him  I  had  permission  to 
leave  the  ship.  The  Lieutenant  looked  up  and 
said:  "Where  are  you  going?"  I  said:  "To  the 
camp."  He  replied:  "I  guess  you  are  not."  I 
said :  "I  guess  I  am."  Then  he  said :  "What  are 
you  going  for  ?"  I  answered :  "I  am  going  to 
render  any  assistance  I  can  to  the  wounded,  and 
to  bury  the  dead."  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  don't  be- 
lieve you  will ;  we  don't  want  a  Chaplain  tagging 
us  up;  you  had  better  give  us  a  chance  to  get 
wounded  or  killed  before  you  come."  I  replied : 
"You  don't  seem  to  comprehend  the  situation; 
we  have  been  informed  that  several  men  have  al- 
ready been  wounded  over  at  the  camp,  and  some 
are  dead."  "Oh !  excuse  me,"  he  said,  "I  had  for- 
gotten that ;  I  thought  you  were  coming  over  to 
bury  some  of  us." 

199 


THR  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


When  we  were  in  the  boats,  we  shoved  off 
from  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  our  steam  launch 
towed  three  of  the  ship's  boats  over  to  the  shore. 
Reaching  the  end  of  a  wooden  pier  that  extended 
about  twenty-five  feet  out  into  the  Bay,  we 
jumped  from  the  boat  to  it,  and  as  we  reached 
the  land  we  fell  into  line  to  march  up  the  hill 
where  the  marines  were  encamped.  I  stood  there 
a  moment  as  though  in  a  dream.  It  was  a  beau- 
tiful morning — the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  the 
birds  were  singing,  and  there  was  just  sufficient 
air  stirring  to  wave  the  great  palm-trees,  as  they 
stood  like  gigantic  banner  bearers. 

Reaching  the  camp,  we  told  the  Colonel  why 
we  had  come.  He  seemed  to  appreciate  it  great- 
ly, and  said:  "Chaplain,  would  you  like  to  visit 
the  hospital  tent?  Our  dead  are  there."  I  said: 
"Yes,  Colonel,  I  would."  So,  going  over  there,  I 
beheld  the  ravages  of  war;  it  was  all  too  true 
then.  There  lay  a  young  Past  Assistant  Sur- 
geon, Dr.  John  Blair  Gibbs,  U.  S.  N.,  who  had 
given  up  an  excellent  practice  in  New  York  City, 
and  had  volunteered  simply  for  the  war.  On 
either  side  of  him  lay  two  privates.  Very  sug- 
gestive. It  seemed  as  though,  even  in  death,  they 
were  guarding  their  superior  officer.  When  the 
camp  was  attacked  the  night  before  the  doctor 
was  in  his  tent.  A  marine  had  been  shot  right 
through  the  hand,  and  was  taken  to  the  surgeon 
200 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


for  treatment.  Dr.  Gibbs  had  irrigated  the  wound 
carefully,  and,  taking  his  bandages  from  the 
medicine  chest,  was  applying  one  when  the  camp 
was  attacked.  He  said  to  the  marine:  "I  must 
go  outside  and  see  what  is  going  on."  The 
marine,  who  was  experienced  in  military  life, 
said :  "Don't  you  do  it,  doctor ;  lay  prone  on  your 
stomach.  If  you  go  outside,  the  enemy  will  see 
you,  and  the  chances  are,  you  will  get  hit."  He 
said:  "I  cannot  help  it;  I  cannot  be  shot  down 
here  like  a  dog.  I  must  see  what  is  going  on." 
So,  with  one  end  of  the  bandage  tightly  wrapped 
around  the  hand  of  the  marine,  and  the  other  end 
in  his  own,  he  stepped  outside  the  tent ;  a  bright 
light  was  behind  him,  making  him  a  magnificent 
target  for  any  sharp-shooter.  An  enemy,  seeing 
him,  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and, 
taking  deadly  aim  at  him,  fired,  the  bullet  enter- 
ing his  left  temple  and  coming  out  at  the  right. 
He  fell  dead  at  the  feet  of  the  marine  he  was 
aiding,  still  holding  the  bandage  in  his  hand. 

The  other  two  marines  that  had  been  killed 
were  shot  down  soon  after  the  surgeon  had  fallen 
— one  shot  through  the  lungs,  the  other  through 
the  head.  They  were  Private  Donnelly  and 
Private  Murphy.  The  Colonel  immediately  gave 
orders  to  prepare  the  bodies  for  burial,  and  to 
dig  their  graves.  Then  I  saw  for  the  first  time 
what  constituted  the  casket  for  our  country's 
201 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


heroes.  They  had  fallen  in  their  uniform — one 
in  his  bare  feet,  the  other  with  his  shoes  and 
campaign  uniform  on ;  the  doctor  in  his  blue  ser- 
vice uniform  with  his  leggins  and  shoes  on. 
Their  rubber  blankets  were  placed  over  their 
heads,  tied  around  the  neck;  and  around  the 
chest  another  blanket  was  then  added,  and  they 
were  pronounced  ready  for  the  sad  committal. 
The  bugle  sounded  for  the  men  to  muster.  The 
Colonel,  Surgeon  Edgar,  U.  S.  N.,  and  myself  led 
the  line  of  march ;  then  came  the  three  bodies  on 
stretchers,  followed  by  as  many  men  as  could  be 
spared  from  the  trenches.  We  marched  to  the 
place  where  the  silent  graves  were  ready  to  re- 
ceive the  bodies;  a  body  was  laid  by  the  side  of 
each  hollow  tomb.  I  was  told  to  take  my  position 
by  the  centre  grave,  which  was  that  of  Dr.  Gibbs. 
Doctor  Edgar  stood  at  my  left,  and  the  Colonel 
was  on  my  right.  I  took  out  my  Bible,  and  was 
about  to  commence  the  service  when  I  heard  a 
whistle.  Turning  to  the  Colonel,  I  said:  "Sir, 
what  is  it  ?"  thinking  he  had  whistled.  He  said : 
"Nothing."  I  said :  "I  thought  I  heard  a  whistle, 
sir."  He  said :  "No,  Chaplain,  I  did  not  whistle ; 
that  was  a  Mauser  bullet ;  we  are  attacked." 

The  order  had  been  given  to  uncover,  and  the 

marines  from  the  "Texas,"  the  funeral  escort, 

stood  at  parade  rest;  not  a  man  stirred,  as  they 

stood  in  the  very  jaws  of  death.    Captain  Harper, 

202 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


U.  S.  M.  C,  shouted  out :  "The  camp  is  attacked ! 
Fall  in,  Company  C,  E  and  A  to  the  right,  and 
engage  the  enemy."  The  men  slid  for  the 
trenches  with  their  rifles  over  their  shoulders. 
Two  reporters  rushed  in  from  the  thicket,  where 
the  Spaniards  had  concealed  themselves,  and  the 
scared  expression  on  their  faces  really  made  me 
feel  as  though  I  would  like  to  run  myself,  as  this 
was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been  under  fire  to 
realize  it.  An  officer  shouted  to  me:  "Chaplain, 
fall  back ;  go  over  there  by  the  side  of  the  block- 
house; it  will  afford  you  some  protection."  The 
block-house  was  really  the  foundation  only,  as 
the  house  itself  had  been  demolished  when  our 
ships  had  captured  the  place.  There  was  a  trench 
around  the  ruins,  and  the  marines  were  in  it  firing 
at  the  enemy.  As  I  stood  on  the  edge  of  the 
trench,  some  of  them  said:  "Chaplain,  you  had 
better  get  in  the  trench,  sir ;  the  bullets  are  thicker 
than  hail  around  here."  So  I  jumped  in,  and 
soon  heard  the  deadly  missiles  striking  on  the 
dirt  behind  me. 

I  was  in  the  trench  up  to  my  waist,  and  I  began 
to  consult  seriously  with  myself  whether  I  was 
not  very  foolish  to  stand  there  in  that  position,  as 
I  could  tell  the  enemy  had  our  range,  and  were 
concentrating  their  fire  on  that  place,  so  I  said  to 
the  marines :  "If  I  am  going  to  get  hit,  I  would 
rather  get  it  from  my  waist  down  than  from  my 
203 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


waist  up ;  this  is  sixteen  to  one,  and  as  I  am  no 
Bryanite,  I  would  rather  be  out  in  the  open."  So 
I  got  out.  The  Colonel  was  still  standing  by  our 
dead,  giving  his  orders  with  his  cap  in  his  hand, 
as  the  last  order  he  had  given  was  to  uncover, 
which  order  he  had  not  forgotten,  and  he  was 
perfectly  composed  as  he  directed  the  men  in  that 
engagement.  Seeing  me  standing  over  by  the 
trench,  he  beckoned  me  by  moving  his  head  to 
one  side.  Upon  my  going  over  to  him,  he  said : 
"Chaplain,  do  you  feel  like  continuing  the  ser- 
vice ?"  I  said :  "Yes,  sir,  with  your  permission." 
Then  he  said :  "Go  ahead."  So,  taking  my  place 
where  I  had  stood  a  few  moments  before,  I  com- 
menced the  service,  and  was  just  uttering  the 

words:  "Man  that  is  born  of  woman "  when 

up  rushed  three  of  the  marines  with  one  of  our 
Colt's  automatic  guns,  and  some  others  with  a 
three-inch  field  piece,  planting  them  on  either 
side  of  me,  and  all  through  the  service  those 
two  guns  seemed  to  chant  the  prayers  with  me; 
it  was  a  peculiar  sensation,  yet  it  was  very  com- 
forting to  know,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
my  back  was  to  the  enemy,  as  they  fired  at  us, 
these  marines  were  protecting  me  by  firing  at 
those  who  fired  at  us.  Not  a  bullet  passed  me 
during  the  Committal  Service,  but  as  I  closed  my 
eyes,  asking  God  to  bless  the  men  of  that  camp, 
I  heard  them  whistling  around  me  like  so  many 
204 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


bees ;  but  even  then,  I  could  hear  that  little  baby 
lisping  prayer:  "Dear,  dear  papa,  please  come 
back,"  and  for  the  time  being  became  as  good  a 
fatalist  as  ever  lived.  It  was  a  very  consoling 
belief  that,  if  my  time  had  come,  it  had;  but  if 
not,  I  was  just  as  safe  there  as  though  I  was  at 
home  with  those  I  loved. 

After  completing  the  services,  I  wished  the 
Colonel,  together  with  the  other  officers,  good- 
day,  saying  I  hoped  I  would  not  have  to  visit 
them  again  under  such  sad  circumstances.  The 
Colonel  replied :  "Chaplain,  if  you  don't  have  to, 
some  other  Chaplain  will,  as  we  cannot  all  ex- 
pect to  leave  this  place."  A  Mr.  Coffin,  an  artist 
for  the  New  York  papers  and  magazines,  came 
to  me  and  asked  whether  he  could  go  over  to  the 
ship  with  me  in  our  launch.  I  told  him:  "Yes, 
I  had  no  objections."  So  we  walked  down  the 
hill,  together  with  a  Mr.  Duaide,  of  the  New 
York  Sun,  who  had  joined  us.  They  commenced 
talking  to  me  of  the  service  under  fire,  agreeing 
it  was  the  most  dastardly  act  that  any  people  pre- 
tending to  be  civilized  could  perpetrate.  As  we 
talked  thus,  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and 
just  as  we  entered  the  path  under  the  cliffs  we 
heard  a  rifle  snap.  Looking  at  my  companions,  I 
said:  "Gentlemen,  that  gun  is  pointed  at  us." 
They  laughed  at  me,  and  said  I  was  rattled  f/om 
being  under  fire  so  long.  I  said :  "No,  I  am  not ; 
205 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


but  there  is  a  peculiar  ring  about  a  gun  when  it  is 
pointed  toward  you,  and  that  gun  certainly  had 
that  kind  of  a  ring."  They  were  satisfied,  how- 
ever, that  it  was  not  fired  at  us.  So  we  walked 
leisurely  along,  when  suddenly  we  heard  three 
or  four  shots  in  succession.  Looking  up  on  the 
cliffs,  we  saw  some  regular  guerrillas.  They 
were  naked  and  their  bodies  were  painted  green 
to  look  like  the  grass  they  had  secreted  themselves 
in  as  they  stole  up  to  us. 

The  men  at  the  Quartermaster's  Department, 
down  near  the  landing,  shouted  at  us  to  run  for 
our  lives,  and  spoil  the  enemy's  aim.  Mr.  Coffin 
spoke  up  and  said:  "Yes,  Chaplain,  my  name  is 
altogether  too  appropriate  for  this  business — I 
guess  we  had  better  run,"  and  away  we  went,  the 
bullets  stirring  up  the  dirt  all  about  our  path,  and 
whistling  all  around  us;  and  not  until  then  did 
any  of  us  realize  how  fast  we  could  run.  In  fact 
I  ran  so  fast  that,  to  my  surprise,  I  reached  the 
launch  first.  Getting  in,  I  said  to  the  coxswain : 
"You  will  have  to  be  careful,  Coxswain,  on  re- 
turning to  the  ship,  as  evidently  the  enemy  will 
fire  at  us."  I  had  on  my  regular  clerical  coat, 
as  the  Chaplains  at  that  time  had  no  uniform,  and 
I  think  the  enemy  mistook  me  for  an  officer  of 
high  rank,  and  that  was  why  they  fired  at  us.  As 
we  got  out  into  the  open,  bullets  began  to  drop  all 
around  the  launch,  and  were  so  thick  we  expected 
206 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


every  moment  to  be  struck.  We  signalled  our 
ship  that  the  enemy  was  on  the  point  of  the 
cliffs,  firing  at  us.  She  immediately  opened  fire 
on  them  with  her  six-pounders  and  drove  them 
away.  We  reached  the  ship  safely,  through  the 
goodness  of  God ;  and  if  His  mercy  and  protection 
had  ever  been  realized  by  any  person  before,  it 
most  surely  was  proven  to  me  that  day,  for 
mercy  and  goodness  were  standing  by  my  side. 

We  returned  to  Santiago  that  night  and  re- 
ported the  matter  to  Admiral  Sampson.  The  next 
morning  we  returned  to  Guantanamo  and  found 
two  marines  had  been  killed  during  the  night. 
One  was  Sergeant-Major  Goode,  as  fine  a  man  as 
there  was  in  the  whole  Marine  Corps.  Had  his 
life  not  ended  so  suddenly,  he  would  have 
been  made  a  Junior  Lieutenant,  as  his  name  had 
been  sent  in.  The  other  was  a  private  by  the 
name  of  Goode  Taumann.  I  went  over  to  bury 
them;  their  bodies  were  prepared  just  as  those 
were  the  day  before.  The  burial  took  place  a  lit- 
tle lower  down  than  where  the  others  had  been 
committed.  After  I  was  through  with  the  ser- 
vice, the  officer  in  charge  said :  "Men,  we  have  no 
blank  cartridges,  so  put  regular  clips  in  your 
pieces ;  turn  your  faces  toward  the  enemy's  coun- 
try, and  fire  the  salute  over  our  noble  dead ;  and  if 
you  hit  a  Spaniard,  all  the  better."  Three  vol- 
leys were  fired,  after  which  the  bugle  sounded 
207 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"Taps."  This  was  a  most  impressive  service.  As 
we  were  leaving  the  graves,  the  enemy  attacked 
us ;  that  time  having  the  decency  to  wait  until  the 
service  was  completed,  when  a  very  lively  brush 
took  place. 

In  the  afternoon  we  proceeded  to  Santiago, 
arriving  there  at  eight  o'clock.  We  were  rather 
tired  from  our  day's  experience.  Shortly  af- 
ter our  return,  we  learned  the  "Vesuvius"  had 
joined  the  fleet.  At  eleven  o'clock,  I  was  sitting 
on  the  gunnel  of  a  boat  that  was  on  our  deck  with 
Naval  Cadet  Henderson ;  he  had  his  banjo  with 
him,  and  was  playing  some  familiar  tunes.  We 
were  suddenly  interrupted  by  a  most  unearthly 
noise,  the  like  of  which  we  had  never  heard  be- 
fore. It  sounded  as  though  a  hundred  horses 
had  coughed  simultaneously — then  there  was  a 
deathlike  quiet,  followed  by  a  most  terrific  ex- 
plosion, which  shook  our  ship  from  stem  to 
stern.  The  vibration  was  never  so  perceptible 
when  our  whole  battery  had  been  discharged. 
Trying  to  imagine  what  had  taken  place,  we  were 
startled  by  the  flash  of  a  gun  from  the  western 
battery,  and  heard  the  shell  tearing  its  way 
through  the  air  toward  us.  Henderson  and  my- 
self sprang  off  the  boat,  and,  as  though  it  would 
be  any  protection,  got  underneath  it  as  rapidly  as 
we  could.  The  shell  passed  over  the  ship  without 
doing  any  damage.  Another  explosion  followed 
208 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


this,  rapidly  followed  by  a  third.  They  were 
three  dynamite  shells  that  the  "Vesuvius"  had 
fired  into  the  harbor,  each  one  of  them  landing 
inside;  all  taking  effect,  the  result  of  which  we 
had  no  mean's  then  of  ascertaining.  Later  on, 
however,  we  were  informed  that  the  effect  of 
these  shells  was  most  amazing,  as  they  tore  up  the 
earth  for  yards  around,  to  all  appearance  as  if  an 
earthquake  had  visited  the  place.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  forts  opened  fire  on  the  "New  Orleans," 
which  she  returned  with  interest.  She  was  right 
near  them,  and,  being  fitted  up  with  modern  rapid- 
fire  guns,  gave  the  enemy  about  eight  shots  to 
their  one.  Daylight  was  just  breaking,  and  this 
duel  between  the  "New  Orleans"  and  the  forts 
was  a  beautiful  and  most  invigorating  sight. 


209 


CHAPTER  XL 

GOING  OVER  THE  MINES. 

THE  flagship  signalled  to  the  "Texas"  early 
on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth:  "Pro- 
ceed at  once  to  Guantanamo  and  destroy 
the  forts,  and  return  to  the  blockade  station  this 
evening."  We  reached  the  entrance  leading  into 
Guantanamo  about  noon.  Captain  McCalla,  of  the 
"Marblehead,"  sent  an  insurgent  pilot  whom  he 
had  on  board  over  to  us.  Our  Captain  inquired 
of  the  pilot  whether  there  were  any  mines  in  the 
harbor,  and  if  there  was  plenty  of  water  to  enable 
us  to  steam  any  further  up  the  Bay  than  we  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  doing?  He  said  there  had  been 
no  mines  planted,  to  his  knowledge,  and  he  thought 
there  was  plenty  of  water  for  us.  We  steamed  in 
slowly.  The  Commanding  Officer  said  to  the 
pilot :  "You  run  me  aground,  and  I  will  swing  you 
up  on  the  yard  arm."  Of  course  he  did  not  mean 
it,  but  the  poor  insurgent  thought  he  did,  and  was 
frightened  almost  to  death.  Just  then  the 
"Marblehead"  signalled:  "There  is  something 
foul  with  my  propeller."  I  had  some  articles  of 
value  with  me,  which  I  wanted  to  secure  in  a  safe 
211 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 

place,  so  went  down  to  the  forward  handling  room 
to  deposit  them.  As  I  entered  there,  our  colored 
barber  was  standing  right  inside  of  the  passage- 
way, all  smiles,  and,  addressing  me,  said :  "Well, 
Chaplain,  if  the  Dagoes  shoot  across  our  decks  to- 
day, they  wont  hit  me ;  I  have  been  sent  down  here 
to  stand  by  to  assist  when  the  magazines  are 
opened."  I  said:  "No,  William,  the  Spaniards 
wont  hit  you  down  here ;  but  if  we  should  happen 
to  strike  a  mine,  you  will  not  be  around  to  tell  the 
story  of  how  it  happened."  I  turned  around  to  put 
down  my  belongings,  and  started  to  leave,  but  no 
William  was  anywhere  to  be  seen.  In  going  be- 
low, he  did  not  seem  to  realize  any  danger  from 
coming  in  contact  with  mines,  but  soon  discovered 
it  when  I  mentioned  the  fact  to  him.  Returning 
to  the  deck,  I  found  that  we  had  just  struck  two 
solid  substances,  and  had  picked  something  up 
with  our  propeller.  Men  were  put  over  the  side 
to  secure  it,  and,  to  our  horror,  discovered  two 
contact  mines  of  French  design. 

We  made  very  careful  soundings,  until  it  was 
discovered  the  water  was  getting  rather  shallow 
for  us,  so  the  Captain  ordered  the  Officer  of  the 
Deck  to  bring  the  ship  to  anchor.  We  were  then 
resting  in  nothing  but  slimy  mud.  At  3 130  P.M., 
our  guns  were  loaded  and  pointed  at  the  forts  at 
Caimanera,  around  which  were  standing  scores  of 
soldiers,  as  they  never  expected  we  would  be  able 

212 


ASHORE. AND  AFLOAT. 


to  reach  a  position  where  we  could  do  them  any 
damage,  being  aware  of  the  deadly  mines  we 
would  have  to  go  over,  and  expecting,  of  course,  to 
see  us  at  any  moment  blown  into  eternity.  We 
opened  fire  with  our  twelve-inch  gun,  and  the  sol- 
diers, hearing  the  tremendous  missile  of  destruc- 
tion coming  toward  them,  commenced  to  scatter 
in  every  direction.  It  was  quite  an  open  country 
around  there ;  so  we  could  see  them  running  for 
some  time.  One  of  our  twelve-inch  shells  fell 
right  on  top  of  the  brick  fort  and  literally  tore  it 
to  atoms,  blowing  the  roof  completely  off.  The 
walls  soon  commenced  to  crumble  and  fall  from 
our  accurate  aiming.  We  had  been  informed  that 
a  number  of  the  Spaniards  were  concealed  in  a 
railroad  station,  so,  just  as  a  gentle  reminder  of 
our  presence,  we  dropped  two  shells  right  in 
amongst  them.  The  Spaniards  who  had  not  been 
killed  were  seen  leaving  there  very  hurriedly. 
During  the  bombardment  they  returned  our  fire, 
but  only  one  shot  touched  the  "Texas,"  that  be- 
ing a  shrapnel  which  landed  in  one  of  our  whale- 
boats,  and  which  our  Captain  kindly  made  me  a 
present  of,  later  on. 

After  we  had  demolished  the  forts,  our 
launches,  together  with  the  launches  from  the 
"Marblehead,"  with  the  "Suwanee"  as  a  convoy, 
started  to  go  up  the  river  in  search  of  mines.  A 
number  of  Spanish  sharp-shooters  were  concealed 
213 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


among  the  brush,  on  a  little  island  in  the  middle 
of  the  river,  and  immediately  opened  fire  on  our 
small  boats.  They  had  concealed  themselves 
there,  thinking  our  ship  would  be  blown  up,  and 
then  those  of  us  fortunate  enough  to  escape  with 
our  lives,  in  trying  to  reach  the  shore,  would  be 
shot  down  by  them.  The  "Suwanee"  made  a 
fierce  attack  on  them,  firing  her  rapid-fire  guns ; 
the  rapid-fire  guns  from  the  launches  were  also 
brought  into  play,  and  very  soon  the  enemy  was 
driven  out.  We  returned  to  Santiago  at  8:30 
P.M.,  and  reported  to  Admiral  Sampson  that  we 
had  fired  twelve  twelve-inch  shells  and  fifty-six 
six-inch  shells  at  trie  fort  at  Caimanera  and 
destroyed  it. 

The  "Marblehead"  sent  word  to  the  flagship 
later  on  that  evening  that  she  had  picked  up 
twenty-nine  contact  mines,  all  of  which  the  ships 
had  gone  over,  and  all  of  them  were  charged  with 
a  good  amount  of  gun  cotton ;  but  barnacles  had 
grown  over  the  wooden  firing  pins,  preventing 
their  working  when  the  ships  came  in  contact  with 
them,  so  the  mines  did  not  explode. 

Many  people  have  said:  "God  was  not  in  this 
our  war  with  Spain."  If  He  was  not  with  us  that 
day,  it  is  difficult  to  determine  what  influence  was 
guarding  us.  We  received  one  of  the  mines  on 
board — a  wicked-looking  thing;  and,  while 
examining  it,  I  said  to  the  officers,  who  so  often 
214 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


had  grumbled  because  barnacles  so  quickly 
formed  on  the  bottom  of  our  ships  in  Southern 
waters :  "What  do  you  think  now,  gentlemen,  of 
the  nuisance  of  barnacles?"  Some  of  them  said 
they  would  never  complain  again,  as  evidently 
they  had  saved  our  lives.  The  next  morning  we 
were  called  to  general  quarters,  and  the  "Texas" 
alone  commenced  firing  at  the  western  battery  at 
5 125.  We  did  good  service,  firing  about  an  hour ; 
in  fact,  it  was  so  good  that  the  flagship  "Brook- 
lyn" signalled :  "Well  done,  Texas.'  "  The  next 
morning,  about  the  same  hour,  the  "Vixen"  was 
fired  upon  from  a  battery  known  as  Mazamarra 
Battery,  which  the  Spanish  had  erected  in  a 
block-house  to  the  westward  of  Santiago.  We 
cleared  for  action  and  entered  the  fight  with  her, 
and  in  very  quick  order  there  was  no  block-house 
to  be  seen.  About  eleven  o'clock  the  next  night, 
the  "Vesuvius"  fired  three  dynamite  shells  into 
the  harbor;  the  enemy  fired  a  shell  at  us,  which 
went  over  us,  as  the  one  previously  had  done.  At 
12:50,  the  "Massachusetts"  signalled  that  the 
"St.  Paul"  had  found,  and  cut,  the  cable.  We 
could  hear  the  men  cheering  on  the  decks  of  the 
"St.  Paul."  Sunday  morning  the  sun  was  shining 
as  bright  as  ever ;  it  was  a  perfect  day ;  the  bugle 
sounded  the  church  call,  and  about  two  hundred 
of  our  men  mustered  to  attend  divine  service. 
Our  Church  pennant  went  up,  together  with  the 
215 


other  Church  pennants  of  the  ships  of  the  Squad- 
ron. The  contrast  was  most  striking:  here  we 
were  telling  the  men  of  Jesus  and  His  love ;  and 
yet  at  any  moment  we  might  have  to  cease 
our  discourse  and  enter  an  engagement.  Our 
men  were  very  attentive  all  through  this  service, 
and  they  seemed  to  have  far  greater  interest  in 
spiritual  matters  every  time  I  preached  to  them 
during  those  days,  when  we  were  standing  by 
ready  for  action. 

The  next  day,  the  U.  S.  Army  transports  ap- 
peared in  the  offing  and  remained  there.  They 
were  convoyed  by  the  battleship  "Indiana."  A 
torpedo  boat  brought  our  mail  to  us.  The  even- 
ing of  the  twenty-first,  a  tug  brought  orders  from 
the  Admiral  to  get  out  our  boats  and  assist  in 
landing  the  army.  At  10 130,  the  "Vesuvius"  fired 
her  three  shots  at  the  fort ;  and  the  western  bat- 
tery fired  three  shots  at  the  "Iowa"  as  she  was 
throwing  her  search-lights  in  the  entrance.  The 
"Iowa"  immediately  returned  the  fire,  and  the  fort 
quit.  The  transports  then  began  to  steam  off  to  the 
westward,  and  that  night  there  were  sixty-seven 
American  ships  lighted  up,  so  that  the  enemy 
could  see  them,  and,  at  the  same  time,  permit  him 
to  see  what  an  array  of  vessels  we  could  produce 
at  one  time ;  then  we  quieted  down  for  the  night, 
having  received  our  orders  from  the  flagship  what 
to  do  the  following  morning. 
216 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


While  we  were  peacefully  slumbering  that 
night,  the  "Ericsson"  stole  in  to  the  old  position 
of  the  "Vesuvius"  on  the  western  entrance  of  the 
harbor.  Directly  east  of  her  the  powerful  search- 
light of  the  "Iowa"  was  staring  straight  into  the 
harbor's  mouth,  and  a  mile  to  the  westward  our 
search-light  was  trying  to  clear  up  suspicion  along 
the  shelving  cliffs,  where  enemies  might  abide. 
The  valiant  little  boat  was  thus  wedged  between 
the  two  lights.  To  have  entered  into  either 
sector  might  have  meant  instant  destruction, 
either  from  the  batteries  ashore  or  from  our  own 
ships,  as  our  men  were  not  taking  any  chances 
with  torpedo  boats  sighted  inshore  on  dark  nights. 
Fortunately  for  her,  our  men  did  not  get  a 
glimpse  of  her,  but  toward  morning  the  Spaniards 
saw  the  loom  of  her  dark  hull  lying  close  in  shore, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  a  large  shell  went  scream- 
ing over  her.  It  was  quickly  followed  by  three 
others,  one  of  which  went  right  between  her 
smoke  stacks,  but  luckily  none  of  them  struck  her. 


217 


V 


ADMIRAL  SAMPSON,   U.   S.   NAVY. 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Combined  Fleet  off  Santiago  de  Cuba. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  LANDING  OF  THE  ARMY. 

ALL  hands  were  called  at  4:30,  and  the 
ship  was  cleared  for  action.  The  Ad- 
miral had  sent  four  transports  to  us, 
loaded  down  with  men,  with  the  intention  of  de- 
ceiving the  enemy.  All  the  other  transports, 
looking  like  so  many  fire-flies  to  decoy  the  enemy, 
with  running  lights  all  ablaze,  the  night  before 
had  steamed  out  of  sight  to  the  westward.  All 
on  board  them  were  at  this  time  wholly  in  the 
dark  as  to  what  the  movements  meant,  comment- 
ed idly  on  the  vagaries  of  direction,  and  won- 
dered if  every  one  had  gone  stark  mad ;  but  when 
they  returned  to  the  eastward  and  landed  the 
army  down  at  Daiquiri,  they  knew  what  it  had 
been  done  for.  As  a  further  decoy  some  five 
hundred  Cubans  were  marching  and  counter- 
marching on  land  to  the  westward  of  Santiago 
and  making  as  much  racket  as  was  possible.  The 
"Texas"  was  ordered  in  alone,  to  make  a  demon- 
stration in  the  way  of  a  feint.  We  commenced 
firing  at  7:30  A.M.  at  the  batteries  of  Santiago, 
principally  engaging  the  Socapa  battery,  which 
was  to  the  westward.  The  Spaniards  returned  our 
219 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


fire.  The  other  ships  remained  on  the  blockading 
line ;  the  transports  steamed  in,  and  we  could  see 
the  Spanish  rushing  off  to  where  they  expected 
our  men  would  be  landed. 

At  8:45  a  shell  entered  our  port  bow  on  the 
gun  deck,  cutting  a  stanchion  in  half  as  it  came 
through,  then  breaking  a  heavy  wooden  reel  used 
to  wind  the  hawsers  on.  Striking  the  starboard 
side,  but  not  penetrating  it,  as  its  force  was 
spent,  it  fell  back  and  exploded,  killing  F.  J. 
Blakely,  and  seriously  wounding  R.  E.  Russell, 
an  apprentice.  Seven  others  were  wounded  by 
the  same  shell.  Blakely's  time  was  up  just  three 
days  before  he  was  killed,  he  having  reached  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  Captain  Philip  offered  to 
send  him  home  on  the  "Supply,"  but  he  elected 
to  stay  and  see  the  war  out.  The  shell  which 
killed  him  was  the  last  the  battery  fired.  Our 
men  aimed  their  guns  wonderfully — the  shells 
would  strike  the  parapet  at  every  discharge.  We 
dismounted  three  of  their  guns,  which  the  com- 
bined force  of  the  fleet  had  been  unable  to  accom- 
plish heretofore.  As  our  men  were  lying  on  the 
deck,  blood  streaming  from  their  wounds,  Sur- 
geon W.  R.  Du  Bose,  U.  S.  N.,  and  myself  rushed 
in  to  them.  We  could  scarcely  see  for  the  blind- 
ing smoke  caused  by  the  exploding  of  the  shell. 
Reaching  a  young  fellow  by  the  name  of  Geo. 
Mullin,  we  found  him  standing  up,  revealing  an 
220 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


awful  gash  in  the  back  of  his  thigh,  about  three 
inches  wide,  cut  right  to  the  bone.  As  he  stood 
there  holding  his  poor  wounded  leg,  he  shouted 
out  to  the  men  around  him :  "Oh,  fellows,  look  at 
this!  ain't  that  a  dandy?  Now  where  is  your 
first  aid  to  the  wounded?" 

One  of  the  men  was  busy  picking  up  the  frag- 
ments of  poor  Blakely's  body,  as  he  had  been 
badly  torn  by  receiving  the  full  shock  of  the  ex- 
plosion, and  was  blown  to  atoms,  the  under  part 
of  the  deck  above  being  smeared  with  blood, 
burnt  flesh  and  hair.  One  of  his  hands  was  found 
twenty-five  feet  from  where  the  shell  exploded. 
Passing  the  awful  sight,  I  went  over  to  where 
Russell  was  lying  on  the  deck.  Stretchers  were 
hurriedly  brought  in,  and  the  men  were  taken 
to  the  sick  bay.  Russell  was  the  first  one  to  be 
treated,  he  being  the  most  seriously  injured,  hav- 
ing received  eleven  pieces  of  shell  in  different 
parts  of  his  body.  Addressing  him,  I  said :  "Rus- 
sell, my  poor  fellow,  I  am  so  sorry  for  you."  He 
said :  "Well,  Chaplain,  I  cannot  see  out  of  my  left 
eye."  I  said:  "No;  you  are  cut  over  that  eye, 
and  I  think  the  blood  is  interfering  with  your 
sight."  Then  he  brightened  up  and  said :  "Don't 
you  think  I  have  lost  the  sight  of  that  eye,  sir?" 
I  said:  "No,  I  don't."  Then  he  said:  "I  don't 
care,  then ;  the  Dagoes  haven't  killed  me  anyhow 
— so  I  have  that  laugh  on  them." 
221 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


I  immediately  took  the  names  of  the  wounded 
and  the  addresses  of  their  people,  taking  down 
messages  for  them  that  they  wanted  me  to  wire 
to  their  homes,  so  that  their  friends  would  not 
be  too  much  broken  up  when  reading  the  possible 
exaggerated  newspaper  reports  regarding  their 
injuries.  We  withdrew  at  10:45.  The  "Brook- 
lyn" came  alongside  and  congratulated  us;  and 
when  we  informed  her  that  we  had  lost  one  of  our 
crew  said:  "You  have  our  sympathy,  as  well  as 
our  congratulations,  then."  As  she  was  coming 
toward  our  ship,  she  again  ran  up  the  signal: 
"Well  done,  Texas/  ''  During  that  engagement, 
we  fired  200  shots.  The  "Brooklyn"  signalled: 
"Do  you  want  any  assistance,  'Texas,'  in  caring 
for  your  wounded  ?"  Our  Captain  replied :  "No, 
they  are  all  being  treated,  and  are  quite  com- 
fortable ;  all  I  want  is  some  more  ammunition,  as 
our  supply  is  getting  low." 

We  steamed  outside  at  2  P.M.,  to  bury  our  dead. 
The  body  of  poor  young  Blakely  was  wrapped  in 
his  hammock,  securely  sewn,  and  weighted  with 
a  six-inch  armor-piercing  shell,  so  that  it  would 
sink.  Boatswain's  Mate  McCarty,  in  a  very 
solemn  tone  of  voice,  shouted  down  the  hatch- 
ways: "A-l-1  h-a-n-d-s  o-n  d-e-c-k — t-o  b-u-r-y 
o-u-r  d-e-a-d."  Poor  Blakely  was  placed  on  a 
stretcher  and  was  borne  by  four  of  his  shipmates 
to  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter  deck.  Our 

222 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


men  mustered  for  this,  our  first  funeral  at  sea.  I 
took  my  place  by  the  side  of  the  remains  and 
commenced  this  my  first  Committal  Service 
where  I  had  to  commit  a  body  to  the  deep.  While 
uttering  the  words,  "We  therefore  commit  his 
body  to  the  sea  to  be  turned  into  corruption,"  the 
men  who  had  carried  the  remains  to  the  side  of 
the  ship  lifted  up  one  end  of  the  stretcher  and 
our  late  shipmate's  body  rapidly  slid  from  it  into 
the  sea  and  disappeared  from  our  view.  Just  as 
it  reached  the  water,  the  bugler  stepped  up  along- 
side of  me  and  sounded  that  most  solemn  call  of 
all,  that  of  "Taps,"  which  is  always  sounded  over 
the  dead.  It  was  a  very  impressive  service,  and 
our  men  seemed  that  day  to  recognize  the  fact 
that,  even  though  things  were  going  pretty  much 
one-sided  with  us,  yet  we  were  standing  side  by 
side  with  death,  not  knowing  whose  turn  would 
come  next.  The  saddest  duty  I  had  to  perform 
during  the  war  was  to  write  to  Mrs.  Blakely, 
the  mother  of  our  hero,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  and 
inform  her  that  her  dear  boy  had  fallen  while  de- 
fending his  country's  honor. 

All  the  time  the  "Texas"  was  thus  engaged,  the 
army  was  being  landed  unmolested  down  at  Bai- 
quiri — and  here  came  in  the  great  triumph  of 
strategy  of  our  beloved  Commander-in-Chief, 
Admiral  Sampson.  All  the  officers  admitted 
that  it  was  a  most  brilliant  piece  of  strategic  work 
223 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


on  the  part  of  our  grave  yet  ever  courteous  Ad- 
miral, in  landing  an  army  on  a  hostile  coast  un- 
hindered and  unharmed.  His  plans  were  as  per- 
fect as  ingenuity  could  possibly  make  them,  as 
not  even  the  Commanding  Officers  present  knew 
where  the  army  was  to  be  landed  until  the  plan 
disclosed  itself,  when  the  transports  were  brought 
to  anchor  off  Daiquiri,  and  the  boats  prepared  to 
land  the  troops. 

Between  Baiquiri  and  Santiago  lay  the  ports  of 
Aguadores  and  Ensenada.  Both  places  showed 
vistas  of  railroad  embankment  and  trestlework. 
The  road  alongside  of  the  track  led  into  Santiago, 
and  it  was  not  the  intention  of  Admiral  Sampson 
to  have  his  well-laid  plans  foiled  by  allowing  the 
enemy  to  use  this  road  in  hurrying  reinforce- 
ments to  the  point  of  attack  at  Baiquiri.  So  he 
ordered  his  ships  to  fire  at  the  trestlework.  The 
gunboats  closed  in,  and  very  soon  the  trestlework 
came  tumbling  down.  Rapidly  the  army  was 
landed,  and,  as  fast  as  they  reached  the  shore, 
formed  into  companies,  the  companies  into  regi- 
ments, the  regiments  into  brigades,  and  all  moved 
quickly  and  without  confusion  into  preconceived 
positions.  Each  man  took  with  him  two  days' 
rations  and  250  rounds  of  ammunition. 

To  think  of  what  was  accomplished  that  day 
by  Admiral  Sampson!  Never  before  in  history 
has  such  a  thing  been  known  as  the  landing  of  an 
224 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


army  in  an  enemy's  country  without  resistance 
or  the  loss  of  a  single  life.  Yet  this  is  what 
that  great  and  noble  man,  Admiral  Sampson,  did, 
when  he  landed  our  army  in  Cuba.  As  I  recall 
all  the  magnificent  achievements  he  performed  off 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  I  feel  that,  if  such  a  thing  were 
possible,  I  would  rather  stand  for  a  single  day  be- 
fore the  people  of  America  as  Admiral  Sampson, 
than  to  stand  before  them  for  a  life-time  as  any 
other  man  living. 


22$ 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  ARMY  FAILED  TO  CONNECT. 

AT  3:30  A.M.,  June  23d,  we  got  under  way 
for  Guantanamo,  where  we  had  been  or- 
dered to  replenish  our  magazines  with 
ammunition.  Arriving  there  at  8:30,  we  went 
alongside  the  "Resolute."  While  we  took  on 
ammunition,  we  also  sent  all  of  our  empty  powder 
cans  over  to  the  "Panther."  During  the  day  we 
took  on  a  large  quantity  of  six  and  twelve-inch 
shells,  and  left  for  Santiago  at  3  130  A.M.,  arriving 
there  at  8  -.30  the  same  evening.  On  our  way  back 
we  passed  the  "Wasp,"  "Bancroft,"  "Ericsson," 
"New  Orleans,"  "Porter,"  and  the  "Vesuvius." 
The  camp-fires  of  our  army  were  plainly  visible 
on  shore  as  we  steamed  past  and  a  number  of 
transports  and  gunboats  lay  at  anchor  near  the 
landing  place.  Friday,  the  twenty-fourth,  the 
"Scorpion,"  "Vixen,"  "St.  Louis"  and  "New  Or- 
leans" shelled  the  eastern  shore  all  the  morning. 
Saturday  passed  very  quietly  until  the  afternoon, 
when  the  "Scorpion"  hailed  us  and  said  the  army 
had  captured  six  hundred  prisoners  and  had  two 
thousand  Spaniards  surrounded — which  informa- 
tion naturally  caused  us  to  rejoice.  Sunday  we 
held  divine  service  as  usual;  the  men  attending 
227 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


in  large  numbers,  taking  part  heartily  in  the  sing- 
ing, and  the  responsive  service.  Things  went  on 
very  quietly  until  the  evening  of  the  twenty-sixth, 
when  the  provision  ship  "Celtic"  came  in  with 
fresh  provisions  for  the  fleet;  and  that  night  we 
had  the  first  fresh  roast  meat  we  had  had  in  about 
three  weeks,  which  tasted  most  delicious.  I  really 
believe  it  was  the  finest  piece  of  beef  I  ever  ate 
in  my  life. 

On  the  twenty-ninth,  at  I  A.M.,  we  left  for 
Guantanamo  to  coal  ship  and,  reaching  there  at 
6  A.MV  made  fast  to  the  collier  "Kingtor";  re- 
turning there  also  from  Santiago  on  the  thirtieth. 
We  were  assisted  each  time  in  coaling  by  a  num- 
ber of  Spanish  prisoners,  who  were  kept  on  board 
the  collier  for  safe  keeping,  and  they  worked  like 
heroes.  The  morning  of  July  ist  dawned  clear, 
and  the  flagship  signalled  for  a  general  bombard- 
ment of  the  forts ;  but  while  we  went  to  quarters, 
we  did  no  shooting — the  "Iowa,"  "New  York" 
and  "Newark"  doing  the  whole  thing.  On  the 
morning  of  the  second  the  signal  was  made :  "We 
will  storm  the  forts,  and  after  we  have  silenced 
them,  the  army  will  come  in  at  the  rear  and  take 
possession  of  them." 

All  hands  were  up  bright  and  early  the  next 
morning,  took  our  coffee,  etc.,  and  cleared  ship 
for  action,  and  at  5 130  opened  fire  on  the  west- 
ern battery,  keeping  up  a  continuous  fire,  which 
228 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


the  enemy  returned  vigorously,  until  7 130,  when 
the  firing  ceased.  The  forts  began  firing  as  we 
were  drawing  off  and  fired  several  shots  at  us, 
but  none  of  them  took  effect.  The  army  failed 
to  put  in  an  appearance,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  the  eastern  battery  was  silenced  and  every- 
thing was  in  readiness  for  them  to  make  the  ad- 
vance. The  "Suwanee"  came  alongside  of  our 
ship  and  said :  "The  army  could  not  pass  where 
the  trestlework  had  been  knocked  down;  the 
water  was  too  deep  for  them,  and  that  is  the 
reason  they  failed  to  connect."  We  had  been 
fighting  that  day  bow  on,  from  our  port  battery. 
During  the  bombardment,  a  number  of  us  were 
standing  on  the  bow  of  the  ship,  watching  our 
shells  drop,  but  when  the  ship  turned  to  withdraw 
I  started  aft  to  see  the  finish  of  the  fight.  Just  as 
I  reached  there,  I  noticed  some  smoke  hovering 
over  the  western  battery  and  wondered  where  the 
shell  was.  I  was  not  kept  long  in  doubt,  for  just 
then  I  heard  it  coming  toward  us,  like  the  Em- 
pire State  Express  train,  through  the  air.  It 
seemed  to  explode  right  over  me,  though  some 
distance  up  in  the  air,  causing  me  to  jump,  and 
doubling  me  completely  up.  There  were  some 
men  standing  near  me,  and  one  of  them  said: 
"Well,  Chaplain,  that  got  your  wind,  didn't  it, 
sir?"  I  was  in  the  act  of  answering  when  blood 
poured  from  my  mouth,  and  inside  of  twenty 
229 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


minutes  I  had  six  hemorrhages.  I  was  taken  be- 
low and  put  in  my  bunk;  the  two  doctors  at- 
tended me,  and  watched  me  closely  all  the  after- 
noon. Dr.  Biddel  was  on  board  to  relieve  Dr. 
Du  Bose,  who  was  ordered  to  the  New  York 
Naval  Hospital  for  duty,  but  Dr.  Du  Bose  was 
not  detached  until  the  morning  of  the  fourth. 

It  was  determined,  if  I  did  not  recuperate 
quickly,  to  send  me  to  the  hospital  ship  "Solace" 
for  a  few  days,  and  if  that  did  not  prove  bene- 
ficial, I  was  to  be  sent  home.  I  could  not  make 
myself  believe  I  was  very  seriously  injured.  The 
Captain  came  to  my  room,  and,  in  his  good- 
natured  way,  endeavored  to  encourage  me.  I 
said:  "Captain,  I  shall  be  all  right,  if  we  don't 
have  any  more  bombardments  for  the  next  few 
days,  as  the  powder  smoke  will,  in  all  probability, 
start  me  coughing,  and  I  fear  it  may  cause  more 
hemorrhages."  He  said:  "Well,  then,  I  guess 
you  will  soon  be  all  right — as  I  do  not  think  we 
shall  have  any  more  bombarding  to  do  in  a 
hurry."  That  evening,  while  in  my  room  alone, 
I  had  plenty  of  time  to  think,  and,  opening  my 
Bible,  read  the  sixth  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  little 
realizing  how  soon  that  old  prophecy  was  again 
to  be  fulfilled,  as  I  little  knew  we  were  standing 
on  the  eve  of  one  of  the  greatest  naval  victories 
of  all  the  ages. 


230 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  CERVERA's  FLEET. 

ON  June  22d,  the  day  our  army  was 
landed  at  Baicuiiri,  Admiral  Sampson 
sent  around  a  general  order,  which 
closed  as  follows:  "The  attention  of  Command- 
ing Officers  of  all  vessels  engaged  in  blockading 
Santiago  de  Cuba  is  earnestly  called  to  the  ne- 
cessity of  the  utmost  vigilance  from  this  time  for- 
ward, both  as  to  maintaining  stations  and  readi- 
ness for  action  and  as  to  keeping  a  close  watch 
upon  the  harbor  mouth.  If  the  Spanish  Admiral 
ever  intends  to  escape,  that  attempt  will  be 
made  soon."  Sunday  morning,  July  3d,  was  a 
day  hard  to  be  beaten,  even  in  that  sunlit  country 
of  Cuba.  About  eight  o'clock,  Surgeon  Du  Bose, 
U.  S.  N.,  came  to  my  room  to  examine  me.  My 
temperature  had  been  taken,  when  a  messenger 
boy  came  down  from  the  bridge,  with  a  mes- 
sage from  Lieutenant  Bristol,  Officer  of  the 
Deck,  asking  whether  I  would  conduct  divine 
service  that  morning.  I  sent  back  this  answer  to 
Lieutenant  Bristol :  "I  am  very  sorry ;  but  do  not 
believe  I  am  strong  enough  to  hold  service ;  any- 
231 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


way,  I  cannot,  as  I  am  on  the  sick  list."  This 
was  the  first  time  I  had  to  say  "No"  about  hold- 
ing service  since  I  had  been  on  board. 

At  nine  o'clock,  Captain  Philip  came  to  my 
door  and  asked  how  I  was  getting  along.  His 
good-natured  face,  with  the  smile  it  always  bore, 
cheered  me  exceedingly.  Then,  in  his  jocular 
manner,  he  said :  "Well,  Chaplain,  I  guess  you 
want  to  go  out  on  a  farm."  I  said :  "No,  sir,  not 
exactly."  Then  he  said :  "You  want  to  go  home, 
then."  I  replied :  "Yes,  Captain ;  if  I  am  going  to 
be  sick  I  want  to  go  home,  as  I  do  not  care  to  be 
ill  down  here,  but  do  not  want  to  shirk  my  duty." 
"Well,  we  will  see  how  you  are  a  little  later,"  said 
the  Captain,  and,  with  a  word  of  cheer,  he  disap- 
peared. 

At  9 130  the  doctor  returned,  in  company  with 
the  apothecary,  who  had  brought  some  medicine 
for  me.  As  they  were  standing  by  the  side  of  my 
bunk,  Lieutenant  F.  L.  Haesler,  U.  S.  N.,  came 
below,  exclaiming:  "They  are  coming  out,  fel- 
lows!" Just  then  the  general  alarm  rang,  and 
the  doctor  left.  I  got  my  clothes  on  as  rapidly 
as  I  could,  as  I  was  still  very  weak,  and  could 
scarcely  get  around.  One  of  our  young  officers 
was  in  the  barber's  chair,  getting  his  whiskers 
trimmed  when  the  bell  rang;  he  had  a  beautiful 
auburn  crop,  which  had  become  too  bushy  to  suit 
him  in  that  hot  climate,  so  he  decided  upon  the 
232 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Van  Dyke  style.  The  tonsorial  artist  was  cut- 
ting away,  and  had  finished  trimming  one  side 
(the  starboard)  down  to  perfection.  Suddenly 
the  alarm  sounded,  and,  without  waiting  a  mo- 
ment, our  handsome  shipmate  hurried  to  his  sta- 
tion with  a  decided  list  to  port  so  far  as  his  whis- 
kers were  concerned ;  there  was  no  list  about  his 
sight,  however.  As  the  magazines  were  opened, 
the  men  slid  down  the  hawsers  like  so  many  mon- 
keys sliding  down  a  pole;  so  active  and  anxious 
were  they  to  be  ready  for  the  fight.  The  first 
twelve-inch  shell  that  came  up  was  for  Lieuten- 
ant Haesler's  gun,  on  which  the  men  had  in- 
scribed with  chalk,  down  in  the  magazine : 

"In  God  we  trust, 

This  shell  will  bust, 
And  blow  the  Dagoes 
Into  dust." 

"In  memory  of  the  'Maine,'  from  her  beloved 
sister  ship,  the  'Texas,'  off  Santiago  de  Cuba, 
July  3d,  1898." 

After  I  had  completed  dressing,  which  was 
simply  to  pull  my  trousers  and  thin  jacket  over 
my  pajamas,  which  I  had  not  time  to  take  off,  I 
went  to  the  after  port,  and,  looking  out,  saw  the 
biggest  ships  I  had  ever  seen  in  my  life — 
Cervera's  magnificent  ships  of  war.  The 
233 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


cruiser  "Infanta  Maria  Teresa/'  Cervera's  flag- 
ship, was  in  plain  view,  coming  around  Smith  Cay 
in  front  of  the  Punta  Gorda  battery.  From  our 
signal  halyards  flew  the  flags  representing  general 
signal  No.  250 :  "The  enemy  is  attempting  to  es- 
cape." 

Lieutenant  Mark  L.  Bristol  had  the  bridge, 
and  the  order  had  gone  down  to  the  men  in  the 
engine  room :  "Full  speed  ahead !"  and  the  dear 
old  "Texas,"  the  mighty  black  bulldog  of  war 
that  she  was,  rushed  on  to  meet  the  foe,  and 
was  churning  a  white  wake  before  the  first  black 
prow  of  Cervera's  Squadron  had  fairly  showed 
around  Puntilla.  Notwithstanding  the  long, 
tedious  waiting  for  the  Spanish  Admiral  to  come 
out,  Admiral  Sampson's  orders  had  been  faith- 
fully obeyed,  and  the  blockade  was  conducted 
with  a  success  exemplified  only  by  the  result. 
Within  three  minutes  of  the  time  when  the  alarm 
was  given,  the  "Texas"  was  under  way,  at  full 
speed,  firing,  every  man  at  his  post.  What 
greater  perfection  can  be  demanded?  On  each 
side  of  the  "Texas,"  the  "Brooklyn"  and  the 
"Iowa"  were  coming  up  with  a  tremendous  rush. 
The  dash  they  made  for  the  enemy,  with  the 
water  pouring  over  their  bows,  was  beautiful  be- 
yond description.  Farther  east  were  the  "Ore- 
gon" and  the  "Indiana,"  also  headed  in,  ready 
for  business.  As  soon  as  our  Captain  reached  the 
234 


5  t* 

O    e 

H        '&> 


B!  - 
O  "„ 
fc  g 

Bf 

PH      * 
CU        (X 

2      « 

H    ^ 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


bridge,  Lieutenant  Bristol  hastened  to  his  post  at 
the  port  twelve-inch  turret  gun.  Captain  Philip 
saw  at  a  glance  that  the  purpose  of  Cervera  was 
to  run  his  ships  in  column  westward  in  his  effort 
to  escape  between  the  "Brooklyn"  and  the  shore 
before  our  heavier  ships  could  come  up  to  stop 
him.  Cervera  miscalculated  his  speed,  as  well  as 
the  speed  of  our  battleships,  also  had  very  little 
idea,  perhaps,  of  the  deadly  accuracy  of  the  aim  of 
the  men  behind  the  American  guns  at  long  range, 
as  before  he  had  found  himself  fairly  outside  of 
the  Morro,  our  whole  Squadron — "Oregon,"  "In- 
diana," "Iowa,"  "Brooklyn"  and  "Texas"— was 
after  him,  and  the  way  the  shells  were  fired  into 
him  virtually  decided  the  issue  of  the  battle  in  a 
very  few  moments. 

It  was  exactly  9:40  A.M.  when  a  great  puff  of 
smoke  came  from  the  forward  eleven-inch  gun 
of  the  "Maria  Teresa,"  the  shell  dropping  short, 
but  right  in  line  with  us.  I  remembered  what 
Captain  Philip  so  often  had  said  about  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion,  which  he  was  in,  claiming  that 
whichever  side  opened  fire  on  the  Sabbath  was  al- 
ways defeated,  so  I  felt  rejoiced  that  the  enemy 
had  fired  the  first  shot.  I  really  believe  I  was  a 
little  superstitious  just  then.  The  battle  was  now 
raging  in  deadly  earnest.  Shot  after  shot  was 
fired  at  the  various  ships.  The  "Maria  Teresa," 
being  in  the  lead,  received  the  concentrated  fire  of 
235 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


our  ships  for  some  time.  Then  the  two  torpedo 
boats  rushed  out  and  the  shout  went  along  our 
deck :  "Torpedo  boats,  sir,  in  our  smoke !"  Our 
hearts  began  to  beat  very  rapidly,  as  the  destroy- 
ers were  the  instruments  of  death  we  dreaded 
most ;  but,  to  our  surprise,  instead  of  heading  for 
us,  they  rushed  on  like  two  race  horses  close  to 
the  shore,  each  trying  to  outpoint  the  other. 

Knowing  what  these  swift  little  crafts  were 
capable  of  accomplishing,  all  the  ships  poured  a 
deadly  fire  right  in  on  them,  and  I  think  all  took 
a  turn  in  the  destruction  of  them ;  but  a  great  deal 
of  the  credit  of  their  destruction  is  due  to  the  un- 
protected auxiliary  vessel,  "Gloucester,"  com- 
manded by  Commander  Richard  Wainwright,  who 
was  on  the  "Maine"  when  she  blew  up  in  the 
harbor  of  Havana ;  and  surely  he  remembered  his 
beloved  ship  and  her  gallant  men  that  morning. 
She  made  a  very  plucky  fight,  rushed  in  and,  at 
close  range,  poured  shot  after  shot  into  the 
"Pluton"  and  the  "Furor."  The  "Pluton"  was 
run  on  the  rocks,  after  being  disabled,  and  very 
soon  blew  up.  The  "Furor"  sank  in  deep  water  a 
few  minutes  later;  this  was  at  10:30. 

Our  ship  had  been  struck  a  few  minutes  before 
that,  right  in  the  smoke  stack ;  and  here  again  is 
shown  the  hand  of  Providence  directing  our  be- 
loved Captain.  The  firing  from  the  enemy's  ship 
had  become  very  general,  shells  were  screaming 
236 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


around  our  bridge,  and  the  Captain  said  to  the 
officers  up  there  with  him:  "We  had  better  go 
down  to  the  lower  bridge."  Going  down  the  only 
remaining  ladder  for  them  to  descend,  they  had 
just  stepped  off  it,  when  crash  went  a  shell,  right 
into  the  pilot  house  where  they  were  standing 
only  a  moment  before.  Had  they  not  left  when 
they  did,  one  or  more  of  them  would  probably 
have  been  killed.  \We  were  then  rushing  on  in 
the  thick  of  the  fight,  when  suddenly  our  navi- 
gator, Lieutenant  Heilner,  happened  to  remark 
that  the  Spanish  cruisers  had  a  plenty  of  colors 
flying,  and  they  wanted  us  to  believe  they  meant 
business,  whether  they  did  or  not,  as  their  great 
yellow  and  red  flags  were  flying  at  their  signal 
halyards.  This  caused  him  to  look  aloft  and  say : 
"Why,  where  are  our  battle  flags?  What  is  a  bat- 
tle without  battle  flags?"  He  then  hurried  a 
messenger  after  them.  The  messenger  returned 
with  the  information  that  the  flags  were  in  the 
locker  and  that  the  Chief  Quartermaster  had  the 
key.  The  Signal  Quartermaster  just  then  was 
very  busy,  and  somewhat  inaccessible,  being  at 
his  post  of  duty  in  the  fore  upper  top.  Then  the 
navigator  said:  "Smash  the  locker."  This  be- 
ing done,  we  were  furnished  with  the  battle 
flags;  up  they  went,  but  I  don't  believe  the  old 
ship  fought  any  better  after  that,  though  doubt- 
less it  made  the  Lieutenant  very  much  happier. 
237 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"Captain,"  he  said,  "those  fellows  got  enough 
battle  flags  up,  but  I  guess  they  have  their  white 
ones  ready  for  an  emergency." 

The  smoke  was  dense  around  us  at  this  time, 
and  we  could  not  see  very  far  ahead.  The  shells 
were  screeching  like  so  many  screech  owls  above 
us,  and  yet  our  brave,  noble  and  heroic  Captain 
stood  on  the  lower  bridge,  never  flinching  in 
this,  his  hour  of  danger.  As  the  "Texas"  veered 
westward,  the  "Brooklyn"  was  plowing  up  the 
water  at  a  great  rate  in  a  course  almost  due  north, 
direct  for  the  oncoming  Spanish  ships,  and  was 
nearly  a  mile  away  from  the  "Texas."  The 
smoke  from  our  guns  just  then  began  to  hang 
heavily  and  densely  over  the  ship  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, but  it  seemed  more  like  an  hour  that  we 
were  hidden  in  this  cloud,  as  it  hovered  over  the 
waters.  To  use  the  Captain's  own  language :  "I 
might  as  well  have  had  a  blanket  tied  over  my  head 
as  to  be  there  with  the  smoke  completely  blinding 
me";  but  suddenly  a  whiff  of  the  breeze  and  a 
lull  in  the  firing  lifted  the  pall,  and  there,  bearing 
toward  us  and  across  our  bow,  turning  on  her  port 
helm,  with  big  waves  crawling  over  her  bows, 
great  clouds  of  black  smoke  pouring  from  her 
funnels,  was  the  "Brooklyn."  She  looked  as  big 
as  half  a  dozen  "Great  Easterns"  and  seemed  so 
near  that  it  took  my  breath  away.  "Back  both 
engines  hard!"  the  Captain  shouted  down  the 
238 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


tube  to  the  engine  room ;  and  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye  the  old  ship,  that  never  refused  to  obey 
either  her  engines  or  her  helm,  was  racing 
against  herself,  and  by  this  cool,  level-headed- 
ness  and  seamanlike  ability  on  the  part  of  our 
Commanding  Officer  the  collision,  which  seemed 
inevitable,  was  averted.  And  as  the  big  cruiser 
went  rushing  by  us,  all  on  the  bridge  with  the 
Captain  gave  a  sigh  of  relief:  for  had  the 
"Brooklyn"  struck  us  then,  the  "Texas,"  in  all 
probability,  would  have  sunk  with  her  five  hun- 
dred men  on  board,  and  if  the  "Texas"  had  col- 
lided with  the  "Brooklyn,"  her  fate  would  have 
been  almost  as  disastrous,  as  she  would  have 
doubled  up  like  a  hoop,  not  having  been  built  for 
ramming.  This  happened  shortly  after  we  com- 
menced the  fight,  and  just  before  the  torpedo 
boats  were  destroyed. 

We  again  began  to  exchange  compliments  with 
the  "Maria  Teresa,"  who  was  firing  at  us  as  rap- 
idly as  she  could,  but  the  aiming  of  her  men  was 
exceedingly  poor.  At  last  she  was  forced  to  sur- 
render; and  at  10:35  her  white  flag  went  up,  as 
the  yellow  and  the  red  came  down.  The  flames 
were  roaring  out  of  every  side  of  her,  and  curl- 
ing up  twice  as  high  as  her  mast,  and  we  heard 
the  crackling  of  the  timber  as  it  burned  so  fiercely 
on  that  ship,  then  a  wreck,  which  only  a  few 
moments  before  was  as  magnificent  a  looking 
239 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ship  as  ever  sailed  the  Carribean  Sea.  Just  three 
minutes  after  the  "Maria  Teresa"  went  on  shore 
the  "Oquendo"  had  to  follow  her  example,  and, 
hauling  down  her  colors,  hoisted  the  white  flag. 
This  caused  our  men  to  feel  elated,  and  they  were 
in  the  act  of  cheering,  when  our  Captain,  a  per- 
fect man  in  battle,  yet  as  soft-hearted  as  a  child 
when  it  was  necessary,  surmised  what  their  in- 
tentions were,  so,  lifting  both  hands  up  in  the  air, 
he  stamped  on  the  bridge,  and,  shouting  at  the 
men,  said :  "Don't  cheer,  boys ;  those  poor  devils 
are  dying !"  -and  it  is  needless  to  say  they  didn't. 

The  "Oregon,"  when  the  fight  commenced,  was 
the  farthest  away,  but  almost  as  soon  as  the  bat- 
tle commenced,  she  was  the  leading  ship.  The 
"Brooklyn,"  the  "Iowa"  and  the  "Indiana,"  as 
well  as  the  "Texas,"  had  all  assisted  in  the  de- 
struction of  these  two  ships,  the  pride  of  the 
Spanish  nation. 

The  "Vizcaya,"  in  command  of  Captain 
Eulate,  was  then  the  only  ship  remaining  for  us 
to  engage  in  that  immediate  vicinity,  as  the 
"Colon"  had  run  by  her  and  was  headed  up  the 
coast.  We  put  a  regular  torrent  of  shells  into  the 
"Vizcaya."  The  "Brooklyn"  was  abeam  of  her, 
about  two  miles  outside ;  the  "Oregon"  was  near- 
ly abeam,  half  a  mile  further  in  shore;  and  the 
'^Texas''  was  on  the  starboard  quarter  of  the 
"Oregon"  and  about  a  mile  in  the  rear.  All 
240 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


three  were  steering  parallel  courses  to  the  west- 
ward. We  were  all  giving  it  to  her,  but  her  crew, 
with  a  most  striking  and  persistent  tenacity, 
remained  by  their  guns,  until  at  last  she,  too, 
had  to  make  for  the  beach,  where  she  was  hard 
and  fast  at  1 1 105.  At  1 1  =30,  a  terrific  explosion 
took  place  on  board,  as  the  first  of  her  maga- 
zines blew  up. 

Then  began  the  chase  of  the  "Christobal 
Colon,"  which  ship  was  then  about  six  miles 
ahead  of  us.  The  "Brooklyn"  and  the  "Oregon" 
started  in  pursuit,  and  our  Captain,  fearing 
something  might  happen  to  the  "Oregon,"  and 
knowing  the  "Colon"  to  be  the  supposed  super- 
ior ship  of  the  two,  as  compared  with  the 
"Brooklyn,"  considered  it  his  duty  to  force  his 
engines  and  join  the  race,  and  in  a  very  little 
while  our  ship  was  making  as  fine  speed  as  she 
had  ever  made  since  her  trial  trip.  The  men  in 
the  engine  rooms  had  been  on  duty  for  several 
hours;  one  watch  had  just  come  off  duty  when 
the  battle  commenced,  having  been  on  four  hours 
previous  to  that  time,  and  as  it  was  now  nearing 
noon,  they  had  been  in  the  trying  fire-room  for 
seven  hours.  The  Marine  Guard  was  in  charge 
of  the  secondary  battery,  and,  their  guns  not 
being  in  service  at  this  time,  as  the  "Colon"  was 
out  of  range,  asked  Lieutenant  Radford,  their 
Commanding  Officer,  to  obtain  the  Captain's 
241 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


permission  to  allow  them  to  go  down  and  relieve 
the  firemen.  The  permission  was  granted,  and 
the  marines  went  below;  but,  as  they  entered 
the  fire-room,  those  lusty  fellows  down  there  told 
them  to  get  out  of  that  and  go  back  on  deck 
where  they  belonged ;  as  it  was  their  duty  to  be 
in  the  fire-room,  as  firemen  of  the  ship,  and  sup- 
ply the  fuel  in  time  of  action,  and  that  duty  they 
would  do,  or  die;  and  it  is  remarkable  to  relate 
that,  notwithstanding  that  exceedingly  trying  ex- 
perience, with  a  temperature  of  127  degrees  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  not  one  of  those  men  was 
overcome  by  the  heat. 

At  12:45  the  "Oregon"  sent  a  shell  after  the 
"Colon,"  to  let  her  know  that  we  were  still  pur- 
suing. Finally  she  was  hemmed  in  on  all  sides, 
and  at  1 120  ran  down  her  colors,  as  her  Com- 
manding Officer  beached  her.  We  signalled: 
"Enemy  has  surrendered."  The  signal  was  re- 
peated by  the  "Vixen,"  then  coming  up  behind 
us,  to  the  "New  York,"  some  miles  to  the  east- 
ward, but  was  not  acknowledged.  As  the 
"Oregon"  closed  in,  her  band  was  playing  "The 
Star-Spangled  Banner."  All  the  Spanish  crew 
was  on  the  deck  of  the  "Colon" ;  the  men  on  the 
"Brooklyn"  were  shouting  and  cheering.  Our 
Commanding  Officer  came  from  the  bridge;  all 
hands  were  on  the  quarter  deck,  as  we  were  then 
with  our  stern  toward  the  enemy.  Looking  over 
242 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


toward  that  ship,  the  last  of  the  enemy  to  go 
ashore,  it  was  a  beautiful  picture.  Had  her 
Commanding  Officer  spent  weeks  in  selecting  a 
place  to  beach  his  ship,  he  could  not  have  found  a 
more  picturesque  place  than  where  he  had  beached 
her.  Off  her  starboard  beam  was  the  only  green 
field  that  I  had  seen  all  the  time  we  had  been 
around  the  coast  of  Cuba,  which  served  as  a  kind 
of  background  for  the  picture.  Surround- 
ing this  field  were  the  lofty  pine  and  palm 
trees. 

As  our  Captain  came  toward  us  he  uncovered 
his  head,  then,  looking  at  his  men,  said:  "Men, 
I  have  always  had  implicit  confidence  in  the 
'Texas,'  my  officers  and  my  crew,  but  my  great- 
est confidence  is  in  Almighty  God,  and  I  wish  to 
make  public  acknowledgment,  here  to-day,  of  my 
belief  in  prayer;  and  I  ask  every  man  of  you  to 
uncover  his  head  with  me,  that  is,  if  you  have  no 
religious  scruples,  and  silently  thank  God  for  our 
deliverance  and  for  the  victory  He  has  given  us." 
There  they  stood,  stripped  to  the  waist,  blood 
streaming  from  their  strained  muscles,  their 
bodies  stained  from  the  powder,  the  coal  dust  and 
smoke  of  the  fire-room,  but  from  the  heart  of 
every  one  of  us  that  beautiful  Sabbath  morning 
went  up  the  most  fervent  prayer  that  ever  left 
the  heart  of  man,  as  we  thanked  God  for  the  vic- 
tory He  had  given  us  and  for  our  miraculous 
243 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


escape.  The  Captain  did  not  know  I  was  on  deck 
until  after  he  had  spoken,  when  he  happened  to 
see  me  standing  on  the  starboard  side,  so  sent 
an  ensign  to  me,  apologizing  for  depriving  me  of 
the  privilege  of  performing  my  duty  of  offering  an 
audible  prayer.  I  sent  back  my  compliments  and, 
going  over,  took  the  Captain's  hand  and  said: 
"Captain,  I  am  glad  you  did  not  know  I  was  here, 
sir,  because  this  act  of  yours  has  proven  to  me 
that  you  are  the  kind  of  a  man  I  always  believed 
you  to  be — that  is,  a  man  who  has  faith  in 
prayer."  Later  on,  the  Executive  Officer  came 
to  me  and  said:  "Chaplain,  did  you  hear  those 
remarks  of  the  Commanding  Officer?"  I  said: 
"Yes,  sir."  He  said :  "That  was  the  most  manly 
act  I  have  ever  witnessed  in  my  life." 

Just  then  the  "New  York"  came  up,  together 
with  the  "Vixen"  and  Commodore  Schley  came 
alongside  of  our  ship  in  his  gig.  He  called  to 
Captain  Philip  and  said :  "We  have  no  Chaplain 
on  the  'Brooklyn' ;  we  want  to  borrow  yours. 
As  he  buried  our  first  dead  in  Cuban  soil,  I  want 
him  to  go  with  us  to  Guantanamo  and  bury 
Yeoman  Ellis,  who  was  killed.  Looking  at  the 
Captain,  I  said :  "Captain,  I  have  your  permis- 
sion, sir?"  He  said:  "Yes."  And  I  started  to 
leave  the  ship.  The  Austrian  man-of-war, 
"Kaiserin  Maria  Theresa,"  supposed  to  be  a 
Spanish  ship  coming  to  the  aid  of  Admiral 
244 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


Cervera,  had  been  sighted,  so  Admiral  Sampson 
ordered  Commodore  Schley,  with  the  "Brook- 
lyn" and  "Oregon,"  to  go  after  her  and  destroy 
her.  Expecting  the  ships  would  soon  be  in  ac- 
tion, our  doctor  came  up  to  Captain  Philip  and 
said:  "Don't  you  allow  the  Chaplain  to  go,  sir." 
I  said  to  the  Captain:  "Oh,  please  let  me  go, 
sir!"  He  said:  "No;  I  had  forgotten  you  were 
ill."  So  he  called  down  to  Commodore  Schley: 
"Our  Chaplain  is  too  ill  to  leave  the  ship;  he 
has  been  attacked  with  hemorrhages ;  I  am  sorry, 
but  it  cannot  be  helped."  The  Commodore  re- 
turned to  his  ship,  and  one  burly  fellow  on  our 
deck  shouted  out:  "Let  us  give  three  cheers  for 
our  beloved  Captain!"  And  they  were  given 
with  a  vengeance.  The  old  ship  fairly  shook  as 
the  men  cheered  Captain  Philip,  the  hero  who  had 
that  day  led  them  to  victory — a  hero  who,  for  the 
stand  he  had  taken  that  day,  would,  we  knew, 
be  admired  by  the  Christian  world. 

We  remained  by  the  "Colon"  that  night.  In 
the  morning,  when  I  went  on  deck,  I  was  sad- 
dened to  see  that  that  noble  ship  had  capsized  and 
was  lying  with  her  starboard  guns  pointing  to  the 
sky.  We  started  for  Santiago,  which  was  forty- 
eight  miles  distant,  and  on  our  way  thither  passed 
several  Spaniards  who  had  been  drowned  or 
killed;  some  of  them  floating  with  their  heads, 
hands  and  feet  down,  and  a  life  belt  around  their 
245 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


waist,  which  had  slidden  down,  causing  them  to 
drown.  We  reached  Santiago  just  at  noon.  The 
battle  flags  went  up,  as  we  formed  the  usual 
blockading  half  circle.  Three  or  four  foreign 
warships  had  come  in,  an  Austrian  that  created 
such  a  stir  the  day  before,  an  English,  and  a  Port- 
uguese. We  fired  the  national  salute  in  honor 
of  our  Fourth  of  July,  and  it  was  a  grand  termi- 
nation of  that  most  glorious  naval  victory. 


246 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ON  THE  "ST.   LOUISA   WITH   ADMIRAL  CERVERA. 

ABOUT  three  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 
the   Fourth,    Captain    Philip    signalled 
to  the  flagship  reporting  my  sickness,  at 
the  same  time  stating  that  the  surgeon  recom- 
mended my  being  sent  North  immediately.    The 
flagship  signalled  back  to  transfer  me  to  the  "St. 
Louis"  and  also  directed  Surgeon  Du  Bose  to 
proceed  by  the  same  ship  North.     Accordingly 
the  Captain  issued  this  order  to  me : 

U.  S.  S.  "TEXAS,"  OFF  SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA, 

July  4th,  1898. 
To  CHAPLAIN   HARRY  W.   JONES,   U.   S.   N., 

U.  S.  S.  "TEXAS." 
Sir: 

By  direction  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  pro- 
ceed to  New  York,  and  report  to  the  Medical 
Director  of  the  U.  S.  Naval  Hospital  for  treat- 
ment. 

Very  respectfully, 

J.  W.  PHILIP, 

Captain  U.  S.  N.,  Commanding. 
247 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


At  5 130  we  were  ready  to  leave  the  ship.  There 
was  quite  a  swell  on,  and  with  great  difficulty  we 
boarded  our  steam  launch,  which  was  to  take  us 
over  to  the  "St.  Louis."  We  reported  to  Cap- 
tain Goodrich,  in  command  of  the  "St.  Louis." 
He  accepted  us  for  passage,  but  did  not  endorse 
our  orders  then.  Soon  after  we  boarded,  the 
Officer  of  the  Deck  announced  to  Captain  Good- 
rich that  a  boat  was  coming  alongside  with  Ad- 
miral Cervera  and  several  other  officers  of  the 
Spanish  fleet.  This  boat  was  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-Commander  Rodgers,  the  Executive 
Officer  of  the  "Iowa." 

All  preparations  were  made  to  receive  the  Ad- 
miral with  the  honors  due  his  rank.  The  full 
Marine  Guard  was  paraded.  Officers  mustered 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter  deck.  The 
officers  of  his  own  ships  stood  by  the  gangway  to 
receive  their  beloved  Commander-in-Chief  as  he 
came  on  board.  Captain  Eulate  was  the  first  to 
embrace  him,  and,  with  arms  around  each  other's 
neck,  they  wept  like  two  women.  It  was  a  most 
pathetic  sight.  The  guard  presented  arms,  the 
officers  uncovered,  the  bugle  rang  out  its  flour- 
ishes ;  and  as  this  defeated  Admiral,  who  had  lost 
so  much  in  a  few  minutes,  stood  there,  the  crew 
broke  out  into  cheers,  and  for  several  seconds 
Admiral  Cervera  stood  bowing  his  thanks.  Cap- 
tain Goodrich  presented  the  officers  to  the  Ad- 
248 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


miral.  As  I  took  his  hand,  I  said:  "Admiral,  I 
am  delighted  at  having  the  honor  of  meeting  you, 
and  of  taking  you  by  the  hand,  as  I  wish  to  say, 
sir,  I  have  admired  you  ever  since  your  manly 
treatment  of  our  men  that  entered  your  harbor 
on  the  collier  'Merrimac.'  'J 

Later  in  the  evening  we  got  under  way  and 
started  for  Guantanamo  Bay.  Life  aboard  this 
converted  trans- Atlantic  liner  was  altogether  dif- 
ferent to  what  it  had  been  on  a  warship  in  time  of 
war.  The  electric  lights  were  all  aglow  through- 
out the  ship.  A  sumptuous  repast  was  spread  on 
the  saloon  deck.  We  sat  around  the  table  with 
the  Admiral  and  his  Captains,  as  Captain  Good- 
rich had  invited  Surgeon  Du  Bose  and  myself  to 
be  his  guests  on  that  occasion.  The  delicacies 
furnished  for  this  dinner  certainly  reminded  us  of 
home,  and  we  enjoyed  everything  we  partook  of. 

Captain  Eulate  sent  this  telegram  from  Guan- 
tanamo to  his  wife  at  Porto  Rico:  "Ship  burned, 
life  and  honor  saved."  I  tried  to  draw  him  into 
conversation  early  the  next  morning.  He 
seemed  awfully  cast  down,  but  very  courteously 
responded  to  my  salutation  and  said:  "Good- 
morning,  Chaplain,  this  is  a  beautiful  morning" ; 
then,  with  tears  running  down  his  cheeks,  said: 
"But  poor  dear  'Vizcaya'  burned  and  a  wreck,  and 
so  many  of  my  noble  men  dead.  God  pity  me! 
I  am  alone — no  ship,  no  home ;  it  is  so  hard.  I 
249 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


had  a  lovely  family,  but  now  they  will  be  despised, 
as  their  father  lost  his  ship.  My  Government, 
when  we  lose  a  ship,  will  never  give  us  another. 
So  cruel  and  so  unjust  when  we  fought  so  hard !" 
A  careful  watch  was  set  over  all  the  prisoners. 
Some  of  the  marines  were  sent  over  from  the 
camp  before  we  got  under  way,  to  strengthen  the 
Marine  Guard,  as  we  had  about  eight  hundred 
prisoners  on  board,  and,  before  we  were  rein- 
forced, only  about  ten  marines.  We  left  Guanta- 
namo  Bay  at  6  A.M.,  the  morning  of  the  fifth. 
Every  morning  the  prisoners  were  brought  on 
deck  and,  under  the  supervision  of  Captain  Eu- 
late,  the  fire  hose  was  played  on  them,  affording 
them  a  regular  shower  bath.  The  Captain  said 
that  was  his  custom  every  day  while  in  command 
of  the  "Vizcaya."  I  found  the  Admiral  a  most 
charming  gentleman.  Unfortunately,  he  could 
speak  very  little  English,  but  could  understand  it 
if  we  wrote  it,  and  would  either  answer  us  in 
broken  English,  French,  or  Spanish.  If  we  could 
not  understand  either  language,  one  of  his  officers 
would  act  as  his  interpreter.  I  had  many  a  pleas- 
ant conversation  with  him  and  asked  several 
questions  on  my  way  up  the  coast.  I  found  he 
was  exceedingly  anxious  to  find  out  where  we 
were  going,  so  were  all  of  the  Captains.  The 
Captain  of  the  "Colon"  was  among  the  prisoners 
of  war,  so  was  Captain  Senor  Don  Pedro,  who 
250 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


commanded  the  destroyer  "Pluton,"  also  Senor 
Don  Diego  Carlier,  commander  of  the  destroyer 
"Furor."  Admiral  Fernando  Villamil,  command- 
er of  the  destroyers,  was  on  board  the  "Furor," 
and  was  killed  toward  the  close  of  the  engage- 
ment. I  learned  from  the  Captains  of  these  tor- 
pedo boats  that  there  were  seventy-eight  men  on 
each  boat.  Fifty-six  were  killed  on  one  of  them 
and  fifty-one  on  the  other. 

Admiral  Cervera  said  to  me :  "I  do  not  under- 
stand why  I  lost  so  many  men,  and  the  Americans 
only  one."  I  said:  "Admiral,  we  are  a  praying 
people,  and  God  answered  our  prayer."  He  re- 
plied :  "So  are  we — as  our  people  pray."  I  said : 
"Yes,  Admiral ;  but  the  Americans  know  God  well 
enough  to  go  to  Him  direct — we  have  not  to  go 
second-handed  to  Him  in  the  person  of  the  Vir- 
gin Mary."  "Well,"  he  said,  "a  few  of  my  coun- 
try people  are  Protestants,  too." 

Captain  Don  Pedro  was  a  whole-souled  man,  as, 
in  fact,  all  the  officers  were,  and  I  became  greatly 
attached  to  them  during  the  cruise.  They  per- 
sisted in  their  inquiry  as  to  our  destination,  and  all 
that  I  could  say  was  that  I  had  no  idea  where  we 
were  going,  as  my  orders  simply  said :  "Proceed  to 
New  York  for  treatment,"  but  outside  of  that  I 
knew  not  where  the  ship  would  land.  They  seemed 
very  anxious  to  be  kept  as  prisoners  of  war  by  the 
Navy,  and  did  not  want  to  be  transferred  to  the 
Army. 

251 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


Captain  Eulate,  on  one  occasion,  asked  us  what 
we  thought  of  the  fight  of  the  "Vizcaya."  We,  of 
course,  spoke  in  complimentary  terms  of  it. 
Then,  in  glowing  words,  he  spoke  of  his  men  and 
of  the  able  manner  in  which  they  had  fought  their 
guns  against  such  powerful  odds  the  morning 
of  the  third.  I  could  tell  he  loved  his  ship  dearly, 
and  also  his  men.  He  would  visit  them  frequently 
in  their  quarters,  and  so  would  Admiral  Cervera. 
The  men  would  kiss  their  hands  every  time  they 
went  to  see  them,  as  they  were  a  very  affectionate 
lot  of  people. 

I  asked  the  Admiral  on  one  occasion  why  he 
did  not  come  out  and  engage  the  fleet  at  night. 
He  said:  "That  was  an  impossibility  after  Ad- 
miral Sampson  organized  the  blockading  squad- 
ron." I  said:  "Why  did  you  come  out,  then, 
when  you  did  ?  Did  you  imagine  it  was  less  likely 
to  be  disastrous  in  daylight  than  at  night?"  He 
said:  "I  was  ordered  out."  I  asked  him:  "By 
whom?"  He  said:  "By  my  Government."  I 
said:  "By  letter  or  telegram?"  He  said:  "Tele- 
gram." Then  I  asked:  "Was  not  the  cable  cut 
before  you  came  out?"  This  question  I  wrote 
in  my  memorandum  book,  and  he  wrote  under- 
neath: "When  I  came  out,  we  had  communication 
with  every  city  of  the  world."  I  knew  then 
that  of  all  the  cables  that  we  had  been  cutting, 
the  one  we  wanted  most  to  sever  was  not  among 
them. 

252 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


I  further  asked  him  if  he  came  out  immediately 
after  getting  his  orders?  He  said:  "No,  I  was 
first  ordered  out  to  engage  the  fleet.  I  answered 
that  telegram :  'It  is  useless  to  attempt  it.'  The 
reply  came  from  Madrid,  'You  go  out  and  fight.' 
I  wired  back :  'It  is  suicidal  to  attempt  it.'  When 
the  final  message  came :  'No  matter  what  the  con- 
sequences are,  you  go  out  and  fight,'  there  was 
no  alternative  to  this :  the  only  thing  I  could  do 
was  to  obey  those  orders ;  and,  embracing  the  op- 
portunity when  the  'Massachusetts'  went  away 
and  the  'New  York'  also  going  away  to  the  east- 
ward and  thinking  the  'Massachusetts'  was  the 
'Oregon,'  I  thought  my  chances  were  as  good  then 
as  they  would  ever  be.  My  plan  was  to  rush  by 
the  'Texas,'  ram  the  'Brooklyn,'  and  put  to  sea, 
as  I  had  no  idea  of  the  speed  of  the  'Texas'  or  the 
'Oregon,'  which  I  thought  was  the  'Massa- 
chusetts.' My  plan  was  good,  but  my  accomplish- 
ment was  bad.  I  did  the  best  I  could,  though, 
and  our  men  put  up  a  desperate  fight  in  the  face 
of  death.  Almost  the  first  shell  that  your  ships 
fired  disabled  the  'Maria  Teresa.'  That  shell  en- 
tered my  cabin  and  set  that  part  of  the  ship  on 
fire.  The  second  shell  entered  the  engine  room, 
causing  our  main  exhaust  pipe  to  explode.  I  sig- 
nalled down  to  the  engine  room  that  the  cabin  was 
on  fire,  to  turn  the  fire  hose  on,  but  received  no 
reply,  and  then  it  was  we  discovered  that  about 
253 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


eighty  men  in  the  fire  and  engine  rooms  had  been 
suddenly  killed  by  being  scalded  to  death.  My 
aide  said  to  me:  'Admiral,  the  ship  is  on  fire, 
the  engines  are  disabled.  Shall  we  not,  for 
humanity's  sake,  run  the  ship  aground?'  I  told 
him  'Yes,  to  do  it';  but  we  had  not  acted  until 
about  one-half  of  our  gallant  crew  was  sacrificed. 
I  have  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  American  people," 
he  continued;  "but  neither  my  Government  nor 
myself  had  any  comprehension  of  the  kind  of  peo- 
ple the  Americans  were,  as  their  treatment  of  my 
wounded  and  dying  comrades  after  we  sur- 
rendered has  been  the  wonder  of  our  lives." 

I  then  asked  him  how  he  got  off  from  his  flag- 
ship. He  said:  "I  am  a  heavy  man,  and  not  a 
very  good  swimmer,  so  I  took  off  my  uniform 
and  sprang  overboard  in  my  underclothes ;  I  was 
struggling  for  the  shore,  and  the  surf,  being  ex- 
ceedingly rough,  kept  tumbling  me  about  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  completely  exhaust  me.  I  was 
about  to  give  up,  when  I  felt  some  one  pushing 
me  from  behind,  and  I  made  better  progress  for 
the  shore.  Upon  reaching  the  shore,  I  found  it 
was  my  own  son  that  had  come  to  my  rescue." 
This  son  was  on  board  the  "St.  Louis"  with  him ; 
and  a  fine  specimen  of  manhood  he  was — splen- 
did physique  and  an  excellent  scholar. 

A  day  or  so  later  I  engaged  the  Admiral  in 
conversation  again,  and  we  talked  about  our  fight. 
254 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


I  found  him  a  wonderfully  clever  gentleman  to 
approach.  No  one  would  have  ever  taken  him 
to  be  the  Spanish  Admiral.  He  looked  more  like 
a  retired  merchant  as  he  walked  up  and  down  the 
decks  of  the  "St.  Louis"  in  the  blue  serge  citizen's 
suit  which  one  of  the  officers  had  given  him.  In 
speaking  of  the  way  his  ships  were  destroyed,  he 
said:  "Chaplain,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  heroism  and  gallantry  do  not  amount  to 
much  in  modern  warfare."  I  said:  "How  is 
that,  Admiral  ?"  He  replied :  "Simply  because  it 
is  the  instruments  that  are  used  against  each 
other."  I  said :  "Yes,  Admiral ;  that  is  true ;  the 
instruments  of  war  that  the  American  nation  used 
in  the  battle  of  July  3d  were  turned  out  from 
our  public  schools,  they  being  young  men  who 
could  read,  write,  and  count,  and  it  was  the 
school  training  which  they  had  had  that  made 
them  so  accurate  with  their  range-finding."  He 
said :  "Well,  yes ;  there  is  a  great  deal  in  that." 
I  said:  "Yes,  Admiral,  a  great  deal  indeed,  as  I 
understand  nearly  all  of  your  men  could  neither 
read  nor  write."  He  said:  "Yes,  that  is,  I  am 
very  sorry  to  say,  a  fact." 

At  last  we  were  off  the  New  England  coast 
headed  for  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  where  we 
anchored  at  I  P.M.  on  the  eleventh,  after  a  splen- 
did run  up  the  coast.  Large  sheds  were  in 
course  of  erection  on  the  shore  off  the  mouth  of 
255 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


the  harbor,  where  the  prisoners  were  to  be  kept. 
A  strict  quarantine  was  placed  on  the  ship  so  far 
as  communication  with  the  city  was  concerned. 
The  health  officer,  however,  was  willing  that  Dr. 
Du  Bose  and  myself  should  go  ashore,  provided 
we  would  land  on  the  Navy  Yard  side,  so  we  were 
very  soon  ready  to  leave  the  ship. 

Arriving  at  the  Navy  Yard,  the  doctor  said: 
"I  will  get  permission  of  the  Commandant  of  the 
Yard  to  take  our  belongings  out,  Chaplain,  and 
you  go  and  get  an  expressman  to  take  them  to 
the  station."  I  went  through  the  gate  in  search 
of  a  livery  stable,  and  engaged  a  man  to  take 
the  doctor  and  myself,  together  with  the  doctor's 
trunks,  down  to  the  station.  The  man  was  getting 
ready  when  the  doctor  appeared  and  asked  if  I 
had  engaged  an  express  wagon.  I  said:  "Yes, 
and  a  coach."  He  said :  "Well,  there  is  no  need 
of  a  coach ;  the  trolley  cars  pass  the  station."  I 
said :  "That  is  all  right,  but  I  notice  they  are  run- 
ning few  and  far  between."  As  we  had  nearly  an 
hour  to  catch  our  train,  he  was  satisfied  we  could 
do  it  by  taking  the  trolley  to  the  ferry ;  then,  going 
across  on  the  ferry  and  taking  a  trolley  on  the 
other  side  to  the  station,  we  would  reach  there  in 
time.  This  we  did,  and,  arriving  at  the  depot, 
found  our  baggage  there ;  the  train  had  come  in 
and,  before  we  knew  it,  had  pulled  out  and  was 
gone,  leaving  us  behind.  There  was  no  other 
256 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


train  until  the  next  morning,  so  our  only  alter- 
native was  to  remain  and  put  up  at  one  of  the 
hotels.  Before  the  war,  I  had  sent  nearly  all  my 
belongings  home,  not  knowing  what  might  hap- 
pen, and  had  kept  only  a  few  necessary  clothes  on 
board,  and  what  few  I  did  take  from  the  ship 
when  I  left  I  simply  put  into  a  brown  paper  par- 
cel. I  was  dressed  in  the  only  clerical  suit  I  had 
kept  out,  which,  by  the  way,  was  pretty  well 
stained  from  the  powder  smoke;  and  I  looked 
more  like  a  minister  in  distress  than  a  Chaplain 
of  the  Navy.  The  doctor  wanted  to  make  a  call 
on  his  way  leading  to  the  hotel,  so,  agreeing  to 
meet  there  a  little  later,  we  separated. 

Going  up  to  the  "Buckingham,"  the  leading 
hotel  in  the  city,  I  asked  the  book-keeper  if  he  had 
a  room ;  he  said :  "Yes."  Then  he  looked  at  me, 
sizing  me  up  from  head  to  foot,  inquiring :  "Have 
you  a  trunk,  sir  ?"  I  said :  "Yes,  sir,  here  it  is," 
and  deposited  my  brown  paper  parcel  on  the 
desk.  He  stared  at  it,  and  then  at  me.  Sur- 
mising he  was  after  security,  I  said :  "Shall  I  pay 
you  in  advance?"  at  the  same  time  pulling  out  a 
roll  of  bills.  He  said :  "No,  that  is  not  necessary," 
and  turned  the  hotel  register  toward  me  to  reg- 
ister. I  signed  as  Chaplain  Jones,  U.  S.  Battle- 
ship "Texas."  When  he  saw  that,  he  almost 
jumped  over  the  desk  to  take  me  by  the  hand,  and 
was  very  profuse  in  his  congratulations. 
257. 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  'A  CHAPLAIN 


As  this  was  Sunday,  I  was  very  anxious  to  at- 
tend divine  service  at  one  of  the  churches,  so  I 
asked  the  clerk  if  there  was  a  Baptist  church  any- 
where near.  He  said:  "The  church  itself  is 
quite  a  distance  from  here,  but  the  minister's 
house  is  down  the  hill  by  the  second  corner — it  is 
the  third  house  from  that  corner  on  the  right 
hand  side."  So  down  I  went  and  rang  the  door 
bell,  but  received  no  reply.  Going  to  the  next 
house,  I  said:  "Does  the  Baptist  minister  live 
next  door  ?"  The  lady  said :  "He  used  to,  but  has 
left  the  city ;  they  have  no  minister  now."  I  said : 
"Do  you  know  any  of  the  Baptist  people  of  the 
city  you  can  direct  me  to?"  She  said :  "Yes,"  and 
directed  me  to  a  house,  a  certain  number  on  a  cer- 
tain street.  So  to  that  house  I  went  and  rang 
the  door  bell,  but  had  forgotten  to  ask  the  lady 
this  person's  name.  I  realized  my  mistake  after  I 
rang  the  bell,  so,  when  the  door  opened,  I  looked 
at  the  lady  and  said :  "Excuse  me,  madam,  but  is 
this  number  so  and  so  of  such  and  such  a  street?" 
I  knew  it  was,  full  well,  but  had  to  say  something. 
She  said :  "Yes,  sir,  it  is."  And  then  I  said :  "A 
friend  of  yours,  living  in  the  next  house  to  the 
Baptist  minister,  directed  me  to  you."  She  said : 
"There  is  no  Baptist  minister  in  the  city  now ;  he 
has  gone  away."  I  said:  "Yes,  that  is  true;  if 
there  was  a  Baptist  minister  in  town,  I  should 
not  be  here  to  interview  you."  So,  looking  at  me 

258 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


and  my  stained  clerical  clothes,  she  finally  said: 
"Well,  who  are  you,  anyway  ?"  I  replied :  "I  am 
a  Baptist  minister  in  distress."  Then,  to  continue 
the  joke,  said :  "Do  you  think  your  people  would 
treat  me  kindly,  if  I  went  around  there  to-night  ?" 
She  said :  "There  is  no  doubt  but  what  they  will 
receive  you  all  right,  but  they  have  had  so  many 
things  to  contribute  to  lately,  they  begin  to  feel 
the  strain."  I  said :  "If  you  will  direct  me  to  the 
church,  I  will  go  around  there,  anyway."  These 
directions  she  furnished  me. 

Just  as  I  was  about  to  leave  the  house,  a  lady 
came  down  the  stairs  which  led  into  the  hall. 
Advancing  toward  me,  extending  her  hand,  she 
said:  "Did  I  understand  you  to  say  you  are  a 
Baptist  minister?"  I  said:  "Yes,  madam,  you 
did."  Then  she  said:  "I  am  a  Baptist  mission- 
ary, and  have  just  returned  from  China,  where 
I  have  been  trying  to  convert  the  heathen."  I 
said :  "I  am  glad  to  meet  you ;  I  am  a  Baptist 
minister,  a  Chaplain  in  the  Navy ;  and  have  just 
returned  from  Santiago  de  Cuba  from  the  battle- 
ship 'Texas,'  on  which  ship  I  have  been  trying 
to  lead  the  noble  men  of  our  Navy  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  The  first  lady  spoke  up  and  said : 
"Oh!  wont  you  please  come  in?"  I  said:  "No 
thank  you,  madam — you  are  looking  now  at  me 
as  Chaplain  Jones;  before  when  you  looked  at 
me,  I  stood  in  your  sight  as  a  simple  minister  of 
259 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


the  Gospel  in  distress;  and  your  actions  toward 
me  certainly  indicated  I  was  not  welcome  in  your 
home.  The  Bible  says:  'If  they  will  not  receive 
you,  shake  the  dust  from  off  your  feet,'  so  I  guess 
I  will  shake,"  and  left  her  standing  there,  feeling, 
I  believe,  mortally  ashamed. 

Upon  returning  to  the  hotel,  I  found  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Gile,  who  was  supplying  the  church  each  Sab- 
bath, waiting  to  see  me;  he  being  exceedingly 
anxious  to  have  me  speak  for  his  people  that 
night.  I  told  him  I  was  not  feeling  very  strong, 
but  would  do  the  best  I  could,  as  I  should  cer- 
tainly enjoy  the  privilege  of  addressing  a  con- 
gregation in  my  own  country.  The  time  for  ser- 
vice arrived  and  the  minister,  in  a  very  unique 
way,  introduced  me  to  the  congregation.  There 
was  an  extraordinarily  good  gathering  and,  as  I 
stood  on  the  rostrum,  he  commenced  to  pick  out 
certain  gentlemen  by  pointing  to  them,  saying, 
"Brother,  you  remember  three  weeks  ago  last 
Monday  morning,  you,  and  you,  and  you,  had 
been  appointed  a  committee  to  intercede  with  the 
Governor  of  this  State  to  protect  this,  our  coast, 
as  we  were  expecting  then  at  any  moment  to  see 
the  Spanish  Squadron  appear  off  the  coast  and 
bombard  our  city.  We  all  sat  in  the  car  together 
and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  our  great  dread 
of  an  attack ;  but  I  have  the  pleasure  of  introduc- 
ing to  you  this  evening  a  gentleman  who  has  just 
260 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


returned  from  Santiago  de  Cuba,  where  he  acted 
as  Chaplain  of  the  battleship  'Texas,'  and  he  will 
tell  you  to-night  just  where  that  Squadron  is." 
I  had  a  fine  time  speaking  to  them,  and  was  sur- 
prised, notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
Sabbath  and  that  I  was  in  a  church,  to  find  they 
lost  their  church  decorum,  and  applauded  me  just 
as  they  would  were  I  delivering  a  lecture  to  them. 
After  the  service,  every  man,  woman  and  child 
in  that  great  congregation  came  and  shook  my 
hand  most  heartily,  and  I  had  no  idea  until  that 
very  moment  what  it  meant  to  go  to  war  and  re- 
turn home.  It  is  hard  to  part  from  those  we  love, 
but  it  certainly  is  a  most  blessed  privilege  to  re- 
turn home  and  receive  the  welcome. 


261 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  DISAPPOINTMENT  OF  MY  LIFE. 

WE  arrived  at  New  York  early  on  the 
morning  of  July  I2th.  As  I  left  the 
Grand  Central  Station,  I  went  across 
42d  Street  to  the  corner  of  Park  Avenue,  where 
Dr.  F.  W.  Shoonmaker,  one  of  my  sincerest 
friends,  has  his  business.  I  had  received  a  let- 
ter from  him  a  few  days  before  I  left  Santiago, 
referring  to  the  "burial  of  the  marines  under  fire." 
I  answered  this  letter,  telling  him  that  I  hoped  we 
would  be  spared  to  meet  again,  and  thanked  him 
for  the  kindly  sentiment  expressed  in  his  message 
to  me.  Approaching  his  store,  I  saw  him  stand- 
ing outside,  looking  at  his  windows,  which  had 
been  newly  decorated.  Going  up  behind  him,  I 
said :  "Hello,  young  man !  Allow  me  to  take  the 
hand  of  a  good  American,"  and  extended  my  hand 
to  him.  Turning  around,  he  was  amazed  to  see 
me  standing  there,  as  he  thought  I  was  still  down 
with  Admiral  Sampson's  fleet.  He  was  delighted 
to  see  me,  however,  and  immediately  invited  me  to 
accompany  him  to  the  Transportation  Club.  I 
said :  "Not  at  present,  thank  you,  I  must  go  down 
town  and  try  and  find  a  ready-made  suit  of  clothes 
263 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


to  fit  me."  He  said:  "Oh,  no,  you  will  come  just 
as  you  are ;  I  want  to  have  the  honor  of  exhibit- 
ing you  to  my  friends  in  your  war  suit."  Nothing 
else  would  do  but  that  I  must  go  with  him  over  to 
the  club  just  as  I  was.  Arriving  there,  I  found  a 
number  of  prominent  railroad  men,  who  were 
very  profuse  in  their  congratulations. 

After  we  had  partaken  of  luncheon,  I  went  over 
to  the  Naval  Hospital  and  reported  to  Medical 
Director  Wood,  who  was  in  charge.  He  took  my 
orders,  and,  after  he  had  endorsed  them,  handed 
them  back,  saying :  "Chaplain,  where  is  your  fam- 
ily ?"  I  replied :  "They  are  at  Bensonhurst,  Doc- 
tor." This  being  only  an  hour's  ride  on  the  trolley 
cars  from  the  hospital,  he  suggested  that,  instead 
of  settling  down  there  as  a  patient  in  a  private 
ward  that  night,  I  should  go  home  to  those  I 
loved.  Naturally,  this  just  suited  me,  and  I  was 
very  soon  on  a  car  with  the  sign  Bensonhurst  on 
the  front.  Arriving  at  86th  Street  and  Twenty- 
second  Avenue,  I  jumped  off  the  car  and  proceed- 
ed to  my  home,  the  second  house  from  the  corner. 
Very  quietly  on  tiptoe,  I  went  up  the  steps  and, 
with  my  thumb  on  the  electric  bell,  commenced 
ringing  it,  intending  to  ring  until  they  would  open 
the  door  from  the  inside ;  then  I  was  going  to  see 
the  look  of  surprise  as  they  beheld  me  standing  • 
there.  I  knew  it  would  be  a  surprise,  because  the  ', 
last  letter  I  had  received  from  my  wife  was  writ- 
264 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


ten  over  three  weeks  ago.  It  proved  to  be  my  sur- 
prise instead  of  theirs,  as  the  door  was  not 
opened;  so  I  began  to  make  an  examination. 
Everything  seemed  securely  fastened.  I  could 
not  imagine  what  it  meant.  Opening  the  shutter, 
I  discovered,  to  my  astonishment,  that  the  house 
was  empty ! 

What  had  become  of  my  wife  and  two  little 
children  was  a  question  I  naturally  asked  myself. 
I  made  inquiry  in  the  neighborhood,  and  received 
that  afternoon,  the  thirty-fourth  anniversary  of 
my  birthday,  the  disappointment  of  my  life.  I 
was  expecting  to  spend  a  part  of  that  day  at  least 
with  them.  I  went  back  to  the  hospital  feeling 
greatly  cast  down,  as  up  to  that  time  I  had  found  no 
trace  of  those  I  loved.  All  I  could  find  out  from 
the  people  of  Bensonhurst  was  that  my  family 
had  gone  somewhere  in  the  mountains,  but  where, 
they  did  not  know.  I  informed  the  Medical  Di- 
rector, and  asked  whether  he  would  allow  me  to 
go  over  to  New  York  and  see  my  mother-in-law, 
who  probably  would  be  able  to  enlighten  me  as 
to  where  my  wife  had  gone.  The  permission  was 
granted,  and  I  further  requested  to  be  excused 
from  quarters  the  following  morning.  This  re- 
quest was  also  acceded  to.  So  I  went  over  to  New 
York  to  call  on  my  wife's  mother,  who  was  over- 
joyed at  seeing  me,  as  she  ^Iso  was  of  the  opin- 
ion that  I  was  still  on  board  the  "Texas." 
265 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


My  first  question  was:  "What  has  become  of 
my  wife  and  babies  ?"  I  was  informed  that  they 
were  up  at  Lee,  Mass.  It  was  then  2  P.M.,  and  I 
knew  there  was  an  express  train  going  up  to  Pitts- 
field  at  3  P.M.,  so,  excusing  myself,  I  hurried  off  to 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  railroad 
station.  My  friend  on  the  corner  of  42d  Street 
saw  me,  and  inquired  where  I  was  going.  I  told 
him  to  Lee,  Mass.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  will  get 
you  up  there" ;  and,  going  over  to  the  general  pas- 
senger agent  of  the  road,  he  told  him  that  I  had 
just  returned  from  Santiago,  having  been  in  the 
fight,  and  he  wanted  him  to  put  me  up  to  Lee 
and  return  free  of  expense.  The  pass  was  gladly 
granted.  I  telegraphed  my  wife  that  I  would  be 
up  on  the  train  reaching  there  at  five  o'clock  that 
evening.  This  telegram  was  a  great  astonish- 
ment to  her,  as  she  had  been  writing  me  daily  to 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  and  could  not  understand  how 
I  could  be  in  New  York,  when  that  morning  she 
had  read  in  the  newspaper  the  "Texas"  was  at 
Guantanamo. 

As  I  alighted  from  the  cars,  I  looked  about  the 
station,  but  saw  no  one  there  that  I  knew ;  when 
suddenly  I  heard  little  steps  pattering  along  the 
platform  toward  me,  and  there  came  running  my 
little  boy,  the  little  fellow  who  had  asked  in  his 
little  baby  petition :  "Dear,  dear  papa,  please  come 
back."  Following  him  was  his  mother  and  the 
266 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


baby,  and  that  meeting,  that  twelfth  of  July,  as  I 
received  a  birthday  greeting  from  them,  they  hav- 
ing remembered  it  to  be  my  birthday,  made  me 
feel  it  had  paid  me  to  go  to  war.  The  home  com- 
ing is  certainly  worth  the  privations  we  have  to 
suffer  through  separations.  I  remained  with 
them  the  next  day,  and  on  the  fourteenth  returned 
to  the  hospital  and  found,  after  the  surgeons  had 
carefully  examined  me,  there  was  nothing  the 
matter  with  my  lungs;  in  fact,  it  was  hard  for 
them  to  determine  where  the  blood  had  come 
from.  They  suggested  that  the  best  thing  for  me 
to  do  was  to  take  a  rest  somewhere  in  a  quiet, 
healthy  place,  so  I  secured  a  week's  leave  to  try 
the  atmosphere  of  Lee.  I  found  that  it  did  me 
so  much  good  that  I  applied  to  the  Department 
for  one  month's  leave  of  absence,  which  was 
granted.  I  had  a  lovely  time  there  in  the  Berk- 
shire Hills  and  recuperated  in  wonderful  style. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  August  the  unexpired  por- 
tion of  my  leave  was  revoked  and  I  was  ordered 
to  proceed  immediately  to  Tompkinsville  and  re- 
port on  board  the  U.  S.  S.  "Texas,"  which  had 
arrived  from  Santiago  de  Cuba.  I  reported  on 
the  sixteenth  and  went  up  with  her  to  the  Brook- 
lyn Navy  Yard,  and  after  she  had  received  a 
thorough  overhauling,  we  were  ready  for  sea,  and 
left  the  Navy  Yard  in  time  to  welcome  Admiral 
Sampson  and  his  fleet  off  Tompkinsville,  proceed- 
267 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ing  with  them  up  the  North  River  as  far  as 
Grant's  monument  the  day  of  the  Naval  Review. 
This  was  the  grandest  sight  I  had  ever  witnessed 
in  New  York  harbor.  All  of  our  ships,  still  in 
their  war-paint,  steamed  up  the  river  in  single 
file.  The  shores  were  black  with  people  and  the 
house-tops  so  thickly  packed,  one  would  have 
imagined,  from  the  enormous  weight,  they  would 
cave  in.  When  we  got  further  up  the  river,  near 
One  Hundredth  Street,  the  crowd  was  denser  yet. 
The  banks  of  the  river,  both  on  the  New  York 
and  New  Jersey  side,  are  very  steep  up  there, 
and  we  could  see  nothing  of  the  grass  or  anything 
else  belonging  to  the  embankments  on  either  side 
of  the  river,  for  the  people  covered  every  spot. 
The  shouting  and  cheering  were  deafening,  and 
the  blowing  of  the  whistles  almost  made  us  go 
wild. 

When  we  arrived  off  Grant's  tomb,  ship  after 
ship  fired  the  national  salute  of  twenty-one  guns. 
One  of  the  officers  said:  "Well,  we  certainly 
struck  New  York  on  a  lucky  day."  We  said: 
"Why,  how  is  that?"  "Why,"  he  said,  "to  get 
here  on  Grant's  birthday."  "Why,"  we  said, 
"Grant's  birthday  was  the  twenty-seventh  of 
April."  And  then  he  wanted  to  know  why  we 
were  firing  the  salute,  then.  We  informed  him 
it  was  in  honor  of  our  own  return,  though  we 
went  alongside  the  resting  place  of  one  of  our 
268 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


greatest  heroes  to  fire  that  salute.  The  Squadron 
began  to  steam  slowly  down  the  river,  and  as  the 
"New  York"  turned,  she,  being  ahead  of  us,  went 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  to  return  to  come 
to  anchor.  When  she  was  off  our  beam,  some  one 
on  our  deck  shouted :  "Three  cheers  for  Admiral 
Sampson !"  And  we  cheered  and  cheered  for  that 
gallant  officer  who  had  commanded  us  in  Cuban 
waters.  After  the  water  celebration,  we  were 
tendered  a  reception  at  the  Union  League  at  night, 
and  each  of  us  was  treated  just  as  though  he  was 
a  hero.  In  fact,  I  believe  we  could  have  secured 
anything  in  New  York  we  wanted  simply  for  the 
asking. 

The  following  Sunday  I  spoke  in  the  Grand 
Opera  House  at  23d  Street,  and  at  night  in  the 
Academy  of  Music  in  Brooklyn.  Both  of  these 
buildings  were  packed  to  their  roofs  with  people, 
the  seating  capacity  of  each  house  being  about 
7,000.  Notwithstanding  this  was  Sunday,  the 
energetic  minister  who  had  invited  me  there  to 
speak  made  each  person  pay  in  advance  as  he 
went  in.  A  silver  collection  was  thus  taken  at  the 
doors,  and  in  this  way  a  large  amount  of  money 
was  received  that  day  for  the  People's  Church.  I 
had  a  grand  time  telling  the  people  the  way  we 
did  it  down  in  Cuba,  and  the  way  they  clapped 
and  cheered  certainly  showed  they  appreciated 
the  work  of  the  men  behind  the  guns,  if  not  the 
269 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


lecture,  as  I  was  very  emphatic  in  the  statement 
that  the  men  who  had  made  that  victory  possible 
were  the  men  behind  the  guns. 

The  following  Sunday,  I  visited  Camp  Voor- 
hees,  at  Sea  Girt,  N.  J.,  as  the  guest  of  Governor 
Voorhees.  Spoke  there  to  the  regiment  then  in 
camp,  and  sympathized  with  the  men  in  their  dis- 
appointment in  being  compelled  to  remain  there 
all  through  the  war,  when  they  volunteered  to  go 
and  fight  in  Cuba.  At  the  same  time,  I  im- 
pressed upon  them  the  fact  that  their  having  gone 
there  in  obedience  to  their  orders  made  of 
them  just  as  good  and  heroic  soldiers  as  the  men 
who  had  been  in  the  fight.  Time  after  time,  they 
would  applaud  the  work  done  by  the  men,  both  of 
the  Army  and  Navy,  as  I  related  it.  We  had  a 
fine  time  on  Little  Round  Top,  as  they  called  it, 
where  this  service  was  conducted. 

The  following  Sunday,  I  was  at  Crescent 
Beach,  Conn.,  and  addressed  a  regiment  of  sol- 
diers there,  and  found  them  very  enthusiastic  on 
the  subject  of  our  war.  No  matter  where  I  went, 
whether  of  a  week  night  or  of  a  Sunday,  I  found 
the  people  thoroughly  patriotic  and  very  appre- 
ciative of  the  manner  in  which  the  men  had  con- 
ducted themselves  on  board  our  ship,  as  I  spoke 
more  of  the  work  done  by  the  "Texas"  than  that 
done  by  any  other  ship,  knowing  from  experience 
what  our  dear  old  ship  had  done. 
270 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  VISIT  TO  MY   MOTHER. 

AFTER  the  Naval  Review,  there  were  re- 
ceptions of  different  character  almost 
nightly  for  some  time.    We  were  ban- 
queted and  entertained  in  a  most  elaborate  man- 
ner.   I  made  several  addresses  in  different  cities 
of  the  country,  and  wherever  I  spoke  of  "Our 
War  with  Spain,"  I  was  always  greeted  with  an 
enthusiastic  and  large  audience. 

On  September  iQth,  I  was  detached  from  the 
"Texas"  and  ordered  to  proceed  to  my  home, 
which  was  at  Arlington,  N.  J.,  that  being  my 
official  residence.  As  I  left  the  "Texas,"  the 
twenty-first  of  that  month,  I  felt  very  sad  when 
going  over  the  side  of  the  ship  to  think  my  sweet 
connections  with  the  dear  old  "Texas"  were 
severed.  I  have  often  looked  back  to  the  days 
spent  on  board  of  her,  and  shall  always  think  kind- 
ly of  her  and  ever  remember  and  admire  her  gal- 
lant officers  and  men ;  in  fact,  there  will  never  be 
another  "Texas"  for  me;  I  may  be  ordered  to 
every  ship  in  the  Navy,  but  none  of  them  will 
take  the  place  of  that  ship  in  my  affection.  Men 
271 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


of  the  sea  differ  from  men  on  land.  A  sailor  al- 
ways loves,  and  will  stand  by,  his  first  ship,  be- 
cause she  is  his  first  love;  but  I  have  noticed  in 
mingling  with  men  on  shore  that  the  majority  of 
them  who  have  secured  their  second  wives  think 
a  great  deal  more  of  the  second  than  they  did  of 
the  first. 

On  the  twenty-second,  I  received  orders  from 
Washington,  granting  me  two  months'  leave  of 
absence,  with  permission  to  leave  the  United 
States,  and,  on  the  twenty-fourth,  took  passage 
on  the  "Teutonic,"  of  the  White  Star  Line,  for 
Liverpool,  to  visit  my  mother,  whom  I  had  not 
seen  since  the  winter  of  1883.  We  had  a  most 
delightful  passage  over,  and  I  met  some  very 
charming  people  on  board  the  ship,  who,  like  my- 
self, were  visiting  the  old  country  after  having 
been  absent  for  several  years.  We  arrived  at 
Liverpool  the  following  Wednesday  noon,  when 
I  found  I  would  have  to  remain  in  that  city  until 
eleven  o'clock  that  night,  so  I  telegraphed  my 
mother  at  Swansea  that  I  would  be  at  home  the 
next  morning  at  6:30  o'clock,  arriving  at  the 
High  Street  Station. 

The  day  we  reached  Liverpool  was  a  typical 
English  day,  foggy,  damp,  and  such  a  day  as 
would  be  most  likely  to  make  one  feel  homesick. 
As  I  walked  up  the  street,  I  passed  a  hotel  flying 
the  flag  of  our  country,  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  I 
272 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


knew  it  was  only  done  to  catch  the  traveller  com- 
ing from  America.  I  did  not  go  there,  but  passed 
on  until  I  came  to  the  Royal  Hotel,  which  was 
kept  by  the  railroad  company.  After  supper  that 
night,  I  felt  that  I  would  like  to  visit  a  church, 
so  called  a  hansom  and  told  the  driver  to  drive  me 
around  the  city  until  he  found  a  church  lighted 
up,  preferably  a  Baptist  church,  if  he  knew  where 
there  was  one.  We  drove  for  some  time,  when 
he  announced  that  the  Temple,  a  Baptist  church, 
was  open.  Stepping  out,  I  gave  him  his  fare, 
which  was  half  a  crown,  and  went  into  the  church, 
which  was,  I  found,  pastorless,  the  former  pas- 
tor, the  Rev.  Dr.  Jones,  having  gone  into  Wales 
to  occupy  a  pulpit  there. 

I  was  met  at  the  door  by  one  of  the  deacons, 
and,  as  I  had  on  a  clerical  suit,  he  mistook  me 
for  one  of  the  speakers  of  the  evening.  (The 
meeting  that  night  was  to  be  devoted  to  mission- 
ary interests.)  As  he  spoke  to  me,  he  invited  me 
into  the  vestry,  I  said:  "No,  thank  you;  I  pre- 
fer just  sitting  here  by  the  door,  as  I  simply  came 
to  listen  to  the  Gospel  and  do  not  care  to  meet  any 
one."  He  insisted,  so  I  accompanied  him  to  the 
vestry,  where  a  number  of  ministers  were 
seated.  I  was  introduced  to  them,  and  later  the 
secretary  of  the  church  came  in  and  I  was  intro- 
duced to  him  as  Chaplain  Jones  of  the  United 
States  Navy.  He  extended  his  hand,  but  looked 
273 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


at  me  rather  suspiciously,  then,  addressing  one 
of  the  ministers,  said:  "Before  we  go  into  the 
church,  let  us  have  a  word  of  prayer;  I  would 
like  you  to  lead  us,"  but,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice, 
"don't  you  ask  this  Chaplain,  because  there  is  no 
telling  who  he  may  be."  We  knelt  down,  and 
when  I  arose  I  went  over  to  the  secretary  and 
said:  "Having  overheard  your  remarks,  did  I 
understand  you  to  insinuate,  sir,  that  I  am  not  a 
Chaplain  of  the  United  States  Navy  ?"  He  said : 
"I  have  not  seen  your  credentials,  and  do  not  pro- 
pose to  be  imposed  upon."  I  said:  "Well,  sir, 
there  is  no  necessity  of  my  showing  you  my  cre- 
dentials ;  I  simply  came  here  to-night  after  having 
been  away  from  this  country  so  many  years,  and 
this  being  the  country  where  I  was  born,  I 
sought  out  a  Baptist  church,  that  being  my 
church.  I  came  here  to  render  thanks  to  God 
for  permitting  me  to  meet  with  a  congregation 
once  more  in  this  country."  "Well,"  he 
said,  "that  is  all  right;  but  you  cannot  blame 
me  for  not  inviting  you  into  the  pulpit."  I  said : 
"Don't  mention  inviting  me  into  the  pulpit:  for 
I  have  not  intimated  to  you  that  I  wished  or 
would  accept  any  such  invitation."  He  said:  "I 
hope,  then,  you  will  take  a  seat  in  the  congrega- 
tion." I  asked:  "Who  will  deliver  the  first  ad- 
dress?" He  said:  "I  shall."  Then  I  answered: 
"My  dear  sir,  I  would  rather  sit  down  and  listen 
274 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


to  a  gin-mill  keeper  deliver  a  lecture  on  the  virtue 
of  temperance  than  sit  here  and  listen  to  a  man 
like  you  talking  about  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  I  shall,  therefore,  beg  to  be  ex- 
cused, as  I  consider  this  treatment  I  have  received 
from  you  one  of  the  greatest  insults  that  a  Chris- 
tian brother,  or  at  least  one  professing  to  be  a 
Christian,  could  heap  upon  the  head  of  his 
brother  man,  and  if  this  is  the  country  where  I 
was  born,  I  thank  God  to-night  that  I  am  no 
longer  an  Englishman,  but  an  American,  as 
America  is  a  place  where  they  raise  gentlemen, 
and  men  who  understand  their  Christian  man- 
ners." After  saying  this,  I  left  the  church,  as  I 
knew  the  service  would  do  me  no  good  after  re- 
ceiving such  a  reception.  About  ten  o'clock,  two 
of  the  ministers  entered  the  hotel,  and,  seeing  me 
in  the  office,  recognized  me  and  came  over  and 
apologized  for  the  treatment  I  had  received  from 
the  secretary  of  the  Temple  Church,  and  said 
how  sorry  they  felt  that  they  should  appear  as 
though  they  were  party  to  the  treatment  I  re- 
ceived from  one  who,  of  course,  was  the  head  of 
the  church,  as  the  secretary  took  the  head  when 
the  pastor  left  the  church.  I,  of  course,  told  them 
I  knew  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

At  eleven  o'clock   I  boarded  the  train,  and 
found  there  were  no  sleepers  on  the  London  ex- 
press bound  for  South  Wales,  so  had  to  be  satis- 
275 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


fied  with  a  pillow  and  a  rug  and  one  side  of  a  sec- 
ond-class carriage,  as  they  are  called  in  that  coun- 
try. The  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  hear- 
ing a  man  shouting  out :  "St.  Helen's  Road."  I 
knew  then  that  I  was  at  Swansea,  and  the  next 
stop  would  be  the  main  station,  but  was  surprised 
that  I  was  at  St.  Helen's  Road,  as  I  expected  the 
train  was  going  up  to  High  Street  Station,  the 
ticket  agent  at  Liverpool  having  informed  me 
that  that  was  where  I  would  arrive.  I  knew  if 
my  mother  was  able  she  would  meet  me  at  the 
station,  and  I  was  wondering  whether  she  had 
discovered  the  mistake,  or  if  she  had  gone  up  to 
the  High  Street  Station,  which  was  at  the  other 
end  of  the  city.  While  I  was  considering  the 
probabilities,  a  gentleman  of  fine  appearance, 
rushing  by  the  compartment  of  the  carriage,  saw 
me  sitting  near  the  door,  paused  a  moment,  and 
then  said:  "Excuse  me,  but  is  this  the  Rev. 
Harry  Jones  ?"  I  recognized  him  immediately  by 
his  voice,  so  I  said :  "It  is,  sir.  What  have  you 
done  with  your  moustache?"  as  when  I  left  that 
country,  so  many  years  ago,  he  was  decorated 
with  a  most  luxuriant  one.  He  was  also  very  much 
stouter  than  when  I  last  saw  him.  Taking  me  by 
the  hand,  he  said:  "Well,  Chaplain  Jones,  I  am 
delighted  to  see  you."  I  said :  "Excuse  me,  sir ; 
but  don't  call  me  Chaplain  Jones ;  I  am  still  the 
same  Harry  you  knew  when  I  was  your  scholar." 
276 


'ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


I  was  addressing  Professor  John  Williams,  my 
old  school-master  of  days  gone  by. 

In  a  few  moments  we  were  at  the  London  and 
North- Western  Railroad  Station,  where  we  got 
out,  and  engaged  a  coach  to  drive  us  over  to  my 
mother's  residence.  After  my  luggage  had  been 
put  on  the  conveyance,  I  got  in,  and  Mr.  Williams 
was  in  the  act  of  following  me  when  a  porter  came 
up  and  said:  "Excuse  me,  sir,  but  were  you  ex- 
pecting any  one?"  I  said:  "I  don't  know.  Why  do 
you  ask  me?"  "Well,"  he  said,  "an  elderly  lady 
was  looking  for  some  one  just  now."  I  said :  "I 
guess  that  must  have  been  my  mother."  He  said : 
"Yes,  it  must  have  been,  for  she  told  me  to  look 
out  for  her  boy  and  tell  him  to  wait  until  she  re- 
turned, as  she  had  gone  up  to  the  High  Street  Sta- 
tion; but,"  he  said,  "when  she  asked  me  to  look 
out  for  her  boy,  it  caused  me  to  keep  looking 
about  here  for  a  youngster — I  was  not  expecting 
to  find  a  man." 

Telling  the  driver  to  wait,  Mr.  Williams  and  I 
walked  out  to  the  street ;  it  looked  very  familiar  to 
me,  and  yet  many  changes  had  been  made  during 
my  absence.  We  were  strolling  along,  talking 
over  old  times,  when  suddenly  I  saw  a  short, 
thick-set  lady  walking  down  the  street.  "Excuse 
me,  Mr.  Williams,"  I  said,  "but  there  is  my 
mother  coming."  He  said:  "No,  it  is  not;  you 
are  mistaken."  "I  know  I  am  not,"  I  answered. 
277 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


"I  can  never  forget  my  mother's  walk ;  I  will  go 
up  and  meet  her."  I  walked  up  the  side  of  the 
street  she  was  coming  down,  having  told  the  pro- 
fessor to  remain  behind,  as  I  was  anxious  to  see 
whether  the  dear  old  lady  would  recognize  me. 
She  stared  at  me,  and  I  looked  right  at  her  as  we 
passed  by.  Just  as  she  passed  me,  I  turned  and 
said :  "Well,  that  is  a  nice  way  to  treat  a  fellow  af- 
ter he  has  been  away  all  these  years !"  She  turned 
about  as  though  she  had  been  struck  by  electric- 
ity, and,  with  outstretched  arms,  she  said: 
"Harry,  is  it  possible  that  you  are  my  boy?"  I 
said :  "Yes,  mother,  I  am  a  possibility" — and,  at 
the  same  time,  picked  the  dear  old  soul  up  in  my 
arms  and  fondled  her  to  my  bosom.  The  tears 
rolled  down  her  cheeks,  not  from  sorrow,  but  for 
joy  that  her  only  boy  had  returned  home  and  the 
prayer  that  she  had  so  often  offered  to  her 
Heavenly  Father  had  been  answered,  and  she 
was  granted  the  privilege  that  morning  of  meet- 
ing that  boy  again. 

We  went  back  to  the  station,  got  into  the  coach 
and  drove  out  home,  where  I  found  a  most  in- 
viting breakfast  spread  for  me.  I  sat  down  and 
partook  of  a  good  meal,  as  I  was  very  hungry, 
then  began  to  go  through  the  house — my  old 
home.  Every  room  I  entered,  I  became  sadder 
and  sadder,  until  at  last  I  broke  down,  and  said : 
"Mother,  I  cannot  stay  here;  I  shall  have  to  go 
278 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


away."  She  said:  "Why,  Harry,  my  son,  what 
do  you  mean  ?"  I  said :  "Well  mother,  father  has 
been  dead  these  past  three  years.  When  the  news 
came  to  me  in  America  telling  me  of  his  death,  I 
could  scarcely  realize  what  it  meant,  but  now, 
when  I  am  here,  and  do  not  meet  him  nor  hear 
his  voice  welcoming  me  back  to  the  home  I  love, 
knowing  how  proud  he  would  have  been  of  his 
only  boy  this  morning,  it  is  too  much  for  me — 
my  heart  will  burst,  if  I  stay  in  this  house." 

So,  after  breakfast,  I  walked  about  the  city  and 
called  on  several  old  acquaintances,  the  first  be- 
ing an  old  friend  of  ours,  Mr.  Steven  Jones,  who 
formerly  was  our  next-door  neighbor.  When  I 
was  a  boy  at  home  he  had  a  son  about  my  age,  by 
the  name  of  Fred.  This  boy  decided  one  day  to 
run  away  from  home,  and  was  never  heard  of 
afterward.  When  I  rang  the  door  bell,  the  house- 
keeper opened  the  door.  I  inquired:  "Is  Mr. 
Jones  at  home?"  She  said:  "Yes,  sir,"  and  im- 
mediately disappeared.  Mr.  Jones  came  to  the 
door,  his  eyes  staring  so  that  they  fairly  glared  as 
he  looked  at  me  in  amazement,  and  then  he  said : 
"No,  it  is  not;  but  it  is  Harry,  my  old  friend's 
son.  The  woman  told  me,"  he  continued,  "that 
it  was  Fred,  my  boy.  I  would  love  for  it  to  have 
been  so,  but  the  next  pleasure  to  that  is  the  pleas- 
ure of  seeing  you,  my  lad,  because  I  know  how 
fond  your  father  was  of  you,  and  how  proud  he 
279 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


would  have  been  to  see  the  boy  who  went  away 
so  many  years  ago,  now  returned,  still  his  son, 
but  instead  of  the  boy  he  was,  now  a  man."  We 
had  a  splendid  chat  that  morning,  and  every- 
where I  went,  people  spoke  to  me  in  most  glow- 
ing terms  of  that  father  I  would  only  meet  by 
passing  through  the  vail  to  the  other  shore. 

I  found  many  faces  at  Swansea  that  were  fa- 
miliar; and  many  people  who  remembered  me. 
The  first  night  I  was  at  home,  I  stole  into  the 
Baptist  church  where  I  had  formerly  been  a  mem- 
ber, to  attend  prayer-meeting,  unseen  by  any  one 
inside,  and  when  the  meeting  was  thrown  open 
for  prayer,  I  lifted  my  voice  in  earnest  thankful- 
ness to  Almighty  God  for  permitting  me  to  meet 
with  the  old  church  family  in  the  church  that  I 
so  dearly  loved.  Some  of  the  members  recog- 
nized my  voice,  and,  when  I  said  "Amen,"  came 
rushing  over  and  gathered  around  me,  and  sweet 
indeed  was  the  reunion  that  night,  and  I  believe 
each  one  of  us  present  was  drawn  closer  to  our 
Father  than  we  had  been  for  some  time. 

This  return  to  my  home  was  sweet  beyond  de- 
scription. My  dear  old  mother  would  get  a  coach 
and  drive  me  around  to  the  old  friends  that  knew 
me  when  I  was  a  school-boy  in  that  city,  and 
wherever  she  would  go,  she  would  have  the  same 
introduction:  "This  is  my  boy,  Harry;  he  has 
been  to  war,  and  the  boy  was  so  brave,  even  if 
280 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


he  is  my  son."  And  then  the  old  lady  would  look 
at  me  with  delight  beaming  from  those  motherly 
eyes,  rejoiced  at  the  opportunity  of  presenting  me 
to  the  friends  she  thought  so  much  of. 

One  of  the  places  I  visited  that  day  was  a  large 
store,  the  proprietor  of  which  was  Mr.  David 
Richards.  I  knew  him  as  soon  as  I  saw  him, 
and,  going  up  to  him,  said :  "Good-morning,  Mr. 
Richards."  He  said:  "Good-morning,  sir;  but 
you  have  the  advantage  of  me."  I  said:  "Yes, 
perhaps  I  have ;  but  can't  you  think  who  I  am  ?" 
He  said :  "No,  I  cannot."  Then  I  said :  "I  was  at 
one  time  a  clerk  in  your  store;  I  am  Harry 
Jones."  "Why,  yes,"  he  said,  "I  recognize  you 
now."  Then,  looking  at  my  clerical  suit:  "But 
is  it  possible  that  you  are  a  minister?"  I  said: 
"Yes,  sir,  I  am  a  minister  and  a  Chaplain  in  the 
United  States  Navy."  He  was  most  delighted  to 
see  me.  We  took  dinner  together,  and  then  went 
for  a  beautiful  drive  out  to  the  Mumbles,  which 
is  a  peninsula  running  from  Swansea  out  into  the 
sea  about  twelve  miles,  a  most  beautiful  place  to 
visit  at  certain  months  of  the  year.  It  was  grand 
down  there  the  day  we  went ;  but  everywhere  we 
drove,  every  lane  we  entered,  and  every  gate  we 
drove  through  brought  back  recollections  of  the 
time  when  my  dear  father  and  I  so  often  roved 
around  that  part  of  the  country.  My  mother  at 
last  decided  to  go  with  me  to  my  sisters',  at  Coal- 
281 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ville,  Leicestershire,  but  before  leaving  Swan- 
sea, it  was  arranged  that  I  should  give  a  lecture 
at  the  Albert  Hall  on  "Our  War  with  Spain." 

The  mayor  of  the  city  introduced  me  at  the  hall, 
which  was  well  filled.  I  advanced  to  the  front  of 
the  stage,  and,  looking  into  the  faces  cf  so  many 
people  I  knew,  said:  "Ladies  and  gentlemen:  I 
am  proud  of  the  honor  of  standing  here  to-night 
— not  because  I  am  an  old  resident  of  this  city, 
nor  because  I  am  an  Englishman,  as  I  am  not; 
for  I  am  proud  to  state  I  stand  here  to-night  as 
an  American,  and  I  do  not  simply  stand  here  as 
an  American,  but  as  a  Chaplain  in  the  United 
States  Navy.  As  I  stand  here  before  you,  I  pre- 
sent a  living  testimony  of  that  land  of  the  free — 
a  country  where  any  man  who  has  a  will  can  suc- 
ceed ;  a  country  where  determination  and  grit  will 
help  our  young  men  accomplish  their  purpose, 
and  a  country  to  which  I  went  in  1883  a  stranger, 
not  knowing  a  soul  in  the  land,  and  which  received 
me  and  adopted  me,  and  has  permitted  me  to  re- 
turn to  this  my  home  country,  occupying  the  most 
exalted  position  that  it  is  possible  for  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel  to  occupy,  as  I  really  believe  it  is  a 
far  greater  honor  to  be  selected  by  my  country 
as  a  Chaplain  in  the  Navy  than  to  be  appointed 
a  Bishop.  I  am  also  proud  of  the  honor  to  stand 
here  as  a  representative  of  the  American  Navy, 
and  prouder  still  to  be  connected  with  a  Navy 
282 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


that  there  is  not  a  navy  afloat  can  whip." 
This  was  too  much  for  an  old  gray-headed  gen- 
tleman, sitting  on  one  of  the  front  seats.  He 
jumped  up,  shaking  his  hoary  locks,  and,  point- 
ing his  finger  at  me  said :  "But  what  about  Eng- 
land?" I  said:  "England  is  not  in  it."  He 
looked  surprised,  but  before  he  had  a  chance  to 
say  anything  more  to  me,  I  continued :  "For  the 
simple  reason  that  England,  in  our  late  contro- 
versy, has  exhibited  her  love  for  her  children  of 
the  Western  Hemisphere  and  invited  nations  in 
such  a  manner  to  keep  hands  off  that  we  real- 
ize o-day  England  is  our  friend.  Hers  is  the 
only  Navy  afloat  that  it  is  possible  to  whip  the 
American  Navy  with,  and  it  is  absolutely  impos- 
sible for  either  America  or  England  to  declare 
war  against  each  other."  At  the  close  of  this  lec- 
ture, my  friends  rallied  around  me,  and  all  ex- 
pressed their  surprise  that  I  could  return  to  Eng- 
land and  give  such  a  glowing  discourse  as  that 
which  they  had  listened  to  that  night. 


283 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

RENEWING  OLD  ACQUAINTANCES. 

AFTER  the  lecture  at  Swansea,  I  received 
very  many  complimentary  congratula- 
tions from  the  many  friends  of  my  old 
home.  About  two  o'clock  the  following  after- 
noon, I  left  Swansea  for  Coalville,  Leicestershire, 
with  my  mother  and  afflicted  sister,  who  is  the 
eldest  of  our  family.  Going  through  the  country 
on  the  cars,  I  saw  many  marked  improvements 
since  I  was  last  there,  but  could  not  help  remark- 
ing the  difference  between  America  and  England : 
America  was  all  hustle  and  bustle,  everything 
business ;  England,  on  the  other  hand,  seemed  the 
old,  slow,  easy-go-lucky  place  it  was  when  I  left 
for  America.  I  became  thoroughly  homesick  for 
the  "land  of  the  free,"  and  everywhere  I  went, 
meeting  new  faces  and  seeing  new  surroundings, 
only  tended  to  make  me  all  the  more  long  for  my 
American  home.  I  was  never  so  homesick  in  my 
life  as  I  was  when  over  there.  My  mother 
thought  I  was  very  ungrateful,  but  then  she  ex- 
cused me,  knowing  that  in  America  I  had  a  wife 
and  two  little  children.  Arriving  at  Coalville,  I 
285 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


found  the  members  of  our  family  waiting  to  wel- 
come me  at  the  station.  One  of  them  was  very 
nice  to  me  all  the  time  that  I  was  with  them,  and 
was  very  particular  to  show  me  every  place  of  im- 
portance on  their  own  property.  One  piece  of 
ground  was  pointed  out  as  a  site  for  my  mother's 
new  home.  I  failed  to  see  why  she  wanted  to 
erect  a  home  in  that  place,  and  especially  at  her 
time  of  life,  but  he  was  very  persistent,  and  en- 
larged on  the  comfort  it  would  be  for  my  mother 
to  be  near  them,  especially  as  she  had  my  poor  sick 
sister  with  her.  The  more  I  thought  it  over,  the 
more  I  was  convinced  that  something  was 
wrong,  and  was  not  slow,  in  telling  him  just  what 
I  thought.  He  was  supposed  to  be  a  Christian 
man,  and  my  mother  naturally  had  implicit  con- 
fidence in  him,  she  being  a  widow;  but  such  a 
tangle  of  real  estate  that  he  was  trying  to  ensnarl 
her  in  was  something  beyond  comprehension. 
One  could  not  realize  that  such  rascality  could  ex- 
ist in  the  bosom  of  any  man.  I  told  my  mother 
of  my  fears  and  doubts,  but  she  felt  that  I  was 
mistaken  and,  for  a  time,  I  allowed  her  to  retain 
her  opinion.  I  remained  with  his  family  about  a 
week,  when  I  went  to  my  youngest  sister's  home 
to  be  entertained  there.  I  found  them  of  the  same 
opinion  I  was  regarding  this  smooth-tongued 
relative  of  ours,  but  they,  like  myself,  had  been 
unable  to  open  the  eyes  of  my  mother,  who  was 
286 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


going  blindfolded  into  his  scheme,  having  listened 
to  all  his  smooth  talk,  and  was  on  the  point  of 
launching  out  into  this  new  enterprise. 

The  day  after  I  reached  this  sister's  home,  the 
Baptist  minister  called  upon  me  and  invited  me 
to  occupy  his  pulpit  the  following  Sunday  even- 
ing, which  I  did.  The  church  was  well  filled,  and 
I  had  a  very  attentive  audience  as  I  preached  to 
the  people  upon  "The  Promises  of  God."  My  sis- 
ter and  this  brother-in-law  were  very  ready  to 
congratulate  me  as  soon  as  I  joined  them  after  the 
service.  I  had  a  joyous  time  telling  the  people 
the  same  old  story  and  preaching  to  them  the 
same  old  Gospel,  so  full  of  love  and  interest,  that 
we  have  in  America. 

The  following  Wednesday,  my  mother  pro- 
posed that  we  should  go  to  her  summer  home  at 
Budleigh  Salterton,  Devonshire ;  and,  as  I  had  to 
preach  the  following  Sunday  at  Swansea,  I  went 
there,  agreeing  to  meet  her  at  her  Devonshire 
home  the  next  week. 

Going  to  Swansea,  I  was  entertained  by  David 
Jenkins,  Esq.,  a  very  wealthy  gentleman  who  had 
a  beautiful  residence.  The  picture  of  myself  on 
the  next  page  was  taken  in  his  greenhouse.  His 
was  a  most  charming  family,  and  they  did  all  they 
could  to  make  me  comfortable.  I  preached  for 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Williams,  of  the  Memorial  Baptist 
Church  of  that  city,  and  found  many  of  my  old 
287 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


friends  out  to  hear  me,  among  them  being  my  old 
school-master,  Professor  Williams.  He  met  me  in 
the  vestry  and  said :  "I  used  to  enforce  my  argu- 
ments upon  you,  young  man,  with  a  rod.  You 
will  not  be  able  to  do  that  this  evening,  however." 
I  said,  jokingly:  "You  just  wait,  sir!"  My 
theme  was  "The  Character  of  Christ's  Children." 
After  I  was  through,  I  was  met  by  the  Professor, 
who  said :  "Why,  Chaplain,  I  thought  I  said  you 
would  not  be  able  to  thrash  me  this  evening ;  but 
say,"  he  continued,  "I  never  had  such  a  tongue 
whipping  in  my  life."  The  next  night  I  lectured 
to  a  large  audience  in  the  same  church  on  "The 
Life  of  a  Chaplain  in  the  American  Navy."  The 
day  after  I  left  for  Budleigh  Salterton,  where  I 
found  my  mother  had  as  sweet  a  place  as  one 
could  wish  for,  right  on  the  English  Channel. 
The  town  itself  was  a  very  fascinating  place, 
quaint  and  old-fashioned,  like  many  of  the  ancient 
places  of  England.  I  enjoyed  myself  immensely 
going  around  with  my  mother,  meeting  her  many 
friends;  and  while  I  was  there  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  talking  to  my  mother  of  our  relative 
without  interruption,  and  was  successful  in  open- 
ing her  eyes  against  a  man  she  had  put  her  entire 
trust  in,  and  I  believe  she  saw  him  then  as  one 
who  was  willing  and  waiting  to  rob  her  of  her  all. 
I  preached  the  following  Sunday  evening  in  the 
Baptist  church,  and  my  mother  was  in  the  con- 
288 


IN  THE  CONSERVATORY  OF   DAVID  JENKINS,  ESQ., 
SWANSEA,  SOUTH  WALES. 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


gregation.  It  was  a  happy  day  for  me.  I  can 
see  the  dear  old  lady  sitting  there  now  as  she  was 
that  evening,  taking  in  every  word  that  I  uttered, 
as  the  tears  trickled  down  her  cheeks,  to  the  end 
of  my  discourse.  As  I  left  the  church,  she  was 
waiting  for  me  at  the  door,  when  she  said: 
"Harry,  my  boy,  I  am  so  happy  to-night;  my 
prayers  are  answered,  and  I  have  at  last  had  the 
pleasure  of  listening  to  my  own  boy  preaching 
the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  but,"  she 
said,  "I  had  no  idea,  lad,  you  were  such  a 
preacher."  I  laughed  heartily  and  said:  "Well, 
mother,  I  am  glad  it  suited  you." 

From  there  we  returned  to  Coalville,  where  I 
remained  until  the  middle  of  November,  when  I 
took  passage  on  the  steamship  "Umbria,"  leaving 
Liverpool  bound  for  my  own  land.  We  had  a 
very  delightful  passage  over.  There  were  many 
real  good  people  on  board  the  ship,  and  we 
formed  quite  an  acquaintance.  Many  were,  like 
myself,  returning  from  England  after  having  been 
away  for  many  years  from  that  land  and  had  just 
made  a  flying  visit  over  there,  such  as  mine  had 
been.  We  were  all  of  one  opinion — that  there  was 
no  place  on  the  face  of  the  earth  like  America, 
and  all  were  delighted  to  be  returning  to  that 
country. 

I  delivered  a  lecture  for  the  benefit  of  the  or- 
phans and  widows  of  the  Seaman's  Aid  Society 
289 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


on  board  about  midway  over,  and  a  goodly  sum 
was  raised  for  that  noble  object. 

On  reaching  Sandy  Hook,  the  pilot  boat  came 
alongside,  and  one  of  the  pilots  shouted  out  that 
"Teddy"  Roosevelt  had  been  elected  Governor  of 
New  York  State.  There  were  quite  a  number  of 
his  admirers  on  board,  and  we  gave  vent  to  our 
feelings  by  giving  three  rousing  cheers  for 
"Teddy." 

On  reaching  the  dock,  we  found  our  friends 
and  loved  ones  waiting  to  welcome  us  back,  and 
sweet  indeed  was  our  home-coming  to  us  as  we 
disembarked  from  the  steamship  "Umbria"  and 
planted  our  feet  on  the  terra  firma  of  America. 
We  all  felt  like  singing  "Home,  sweet  home,"  and 
Tiever  until  that  visit  to  England  did  I  know  how 
to  appreciate  the  grandest  country  the  sun  ever 
shone  on ;  but  well  indeed  did  I  learn  that  lesson 
then. 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Jones  and  I  took  a  drive  in 
New  York.  As  we  drove  through  83d  Street,  a 
little  girl  ran  after  us,  and  asked  if  I  was  Mr. 
Jones.  I  told  her  I  was.  She  said:  "Then  my 
mamma  would  like  to  see  you.  She  is  back  there 
on  the  doorstep."  Driving  back,  to  our  surprise, 

there  stood  Mrs.  R whom  I  had  married  to 

Frank  R at   Stepney.     Her  husband  was 

doing  well.    They  had  another  child,  a  boy,  and 
their  home  was  bright  and  happy.    How  thankful 
I  was  that  I  married  them. 
290 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CHAPLAIN  OF  THE  "CHICAGO." 

ON  December  9th,  1898,  I  received  orders 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  re- 
port to  the  Commandant  of  the  Navy 
Yard,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  on  the  twelfth  instant, 
for  duty  on  board  the  U.  S.  S.  "Chicago."  I  re- 
ported, in  obedience  to  my  orders,  and  found  her 
Commanding  Officer,  Captain  Cooper,  a  very 
charming  gentleman,  who  was  always  most  will- 
ing to  help  me  in  everything  I  undertook  for  the 
spiritual  upbuilding  of  the  men.  We  were  at  the 
Navy  Yard  until  the  first  week  in  February  of 
1899,  when  we  were  ordered  to  New  Orleans  to 
participate  in  the  Mardi  Gras  celebration.  Leav- 
ing the  Navy  Yard  on  February  9th,  we  steamed 
down  the  river,  and  such  a  reception  did  the  old 
"Chicago"  get  as  she  passed  the  various  crafts  on 
the  water.  She  had  been  at  the  Navy  Yard  sev- 
eral years,  where  she  had  been  laid  up  since  she 
had  returned  with  Admiral  Walker  from  the 
European  Station,  when  she  was  the  flagship  of 
the  original  "White  Squadron."  We  were  due  at 
New  Orleans  on  the  fourteenth,  but  encountered 
291 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


very  trying  weather  all  the  way  down,  more  espe- 
cially so  as  we  entered  the  Gulf.  It  was  so  bad 
there  we  had  to  reduce  our  speed  two-thirds  one 
day,  which  caused  us  to  be  a  day  late  in  arriving 
at  New  Orleans.  A  part  of  the  exercises  was 
postponed  until  the  fifteenth,  instead  of  the  four- 
teenth, on  our  account.  We  acted  as  flagship. 
There  were  three  or  four  foreign  ships  present, 
together  with  the  U.  S.  S.  "Detroit."  Our  men 
were  landed  for  the  day  parade,  and  at  night  all 
the  officers  went  to  the  Boston  Club  to  view  the 
Mardi  Gras  procession.  It  was  a  magnificent 
sight,  but  as  the  thermometer  was  down  around 
freezing  point,  we  pitied  the  people  participating, 
who  were  dressed  apparently  in  nothing  but 
tights. 

We  remained  in  New  Orleans  a  week,  when  we 
were  ordered  to  Havana  to  join  Admiral  Samp- 
son and  become  a  part  of  the  North  Atlantic 
Squadron.  We  arrived  there  the  last  week  in 
February,  and  the  first  week  in  March  the  ship 
was  ordered  to  Fort  Monroe.  We  left  on  a 
Wednesday  night  and  arrived  at  Fort  Monroe 
at  10  A.M.  the  following  Sunday  morning.  We 
had  no  sooner  dropped  anchor  than  we  received 
orders  to  proceed  immediately  to  Havana  to  con- 
voy the  transport  "Meade,"  with  $3,000,000  in- 
tended for  the  Cuban  Army. 

We  left  the  next  morning  at  nine  o'clock  and 
292 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


arrived  at  Havana  the  following  Thursday  after- 
noon. The  Cuban  army  was  to  come  into  the  city 
the  following  Saturday  to  be  paid  off,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  the  appearance  of  those  men  as  they 
came  marching  into  the  city.  They  were  headed 
by  Garcia,  and  the  city  was  gaily  decorated  in 
honor  of  them.  They  marched  to  the  City  Hall, 
where  a  reception  was  tendered  to  their  chief.  It 
was  a  very  impressive  sight  to  see  those  worn 
veterans  returning  from  their  hazardous  duties  on 
the  field.  We  found  many  improvements  in  the 
city  of  Havana.  The  streets  were  perfectly  clean, 
and  the  city  could  boast  of  a  fine  police  force. 
We  saw  them  turn  out  for  their  first  street  parade, 
and  a  very  creditable  showing  they  made.  I 
drove  around  a  great  deal.  Going  over  to  the 
fort,  we  saw  the  various  dens  of  horror  where 
such  barbarous  treatment  had  been  practised  by 
the  Spanish  officials.  The  dead  line  was  still 
there.  This  was  a  long  black  stripe  painted  along 
the  white  walls  where  a  man  would  stand,  which 
line  would  show  the  marksmen  where  to  aim  for 
the  heart. 

We  drove  out  to  the  Christobal  Colon  Ceme- 
tery. Some  beautiful  monuments  had  been 
erected  there,  one  of  the  finest  to  the  memory  of 
the  firemen  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  destructive 
fire  of  Havana ;  another,  a  most  magnificent  piece 
of  work,  which  had  been  put  up  in  memory  of  the 
293 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


young  students  who  had  been  shot  as  spies.  These 
young  men  were  caught  with  their  books  in  the 
fields  one  day,  and  were  arrested  and  taken  before 
a  drum-head  court  martial  and  immediately  shot, 
by  order  of  Blanco,  a  most  cowardly  and  das- 
tardly act,  as  everyone  said  they  were  innocent  of 
the  charge.  Over  in  one  corner  of  the  cemetery 
was  a  large  enclosure,  forty  feet  square  and  a 
hundred  feet  deep,  called  the  "Bone-heap."  Peo- 
ple could  not  buy  a  grave  in  any  Spanish  city,  they 
simply  leased  it  by  the  year.  If  the  lease  was  not 
renewed  promptly,  the  remains  were  taken  out  of 
the  grave,  which  was  of  brick,  built  up  to  the  sur- 
face. Should  there  be  any  flesh  still  remaining, 
the  body  was  placed  in  quick  lime  and  burned, 
and  then  the  bones  were  piled  up  in  an  ox  cart 
and  dumped  on  this  heap.  It  was  estimated  that 
100,000  skeletons  had  been  thrown  in  there.  The 
day  I  looked  inside  of  this  enclosure,  it  was  a 
most  grewsome  sight;  there  were  skeletons  all 
dislocated.  Standing  on  top  of  the  heap  of  bones, 
and  right  in  the  middle  of  them,  were  a  number 
of  women  weeping.  Somewhere  in  amongst  those 
bones  were  the  bones  of  their  loved  ones.  Oh, 
how  cruel  and  un-Christian  was  such  conduct ! 

In  another  part  of  the  cemetery  was  a  large 

square  plot  with  a  black  cross  bearing  the  words : 

"To  the  memory  of  the  men  who  lost  their  lives 

on  the  U.  S.  S.  'Maine,'  which  was  blown  up  in 

294 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


the  harbor  of  Havana  on  the  night  of  February 
1 5th,  1898." 

We  were  ordered  out  of  Havana  to  proceed  to 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  to  overtake  the  trans-Atlantic 
liner,  "City  of  Paris,"  which  ship  had  a  tourist 
party  on  board  surveying  the  battlefields  and  the 
waters  of  the  naval  victories  at  Santiago  and 
Porto  Rico.  Ex-Senator  Sherman  was  among 
the  passengers,  and  had  been  taken  seriously  ill, 
so  ill  that  his  life  was  despaired  of.  The  Presi- 
dent immediately  dispatched  the  U.  S.  S.  "Chi- 
cago" to  convey  Mr.  Sherman  to  a  Northern 
port,  as  the  "Paris"  had  at  least  two  weeks  more 
cruising  before  she  would  arrive  at  Fort  Monroe, 
and  it  was  feared  he  would  die  before  reaching 
there.  Just  as  we  were  off  Kingston,  we  saw  the 
"Paris"  coming  out.  We  hailed  her  and  she  hove 
to,  and  our  Captain  shouted  out:  "Is  Mr.  Sher- 
man on  board  ?"  The  reply  came :  "He  is."  Then 
said  Captain  Cooper :  "The  President  has  sent  the 
U.  S.  S.  'Chicago'  to  be  placed  at  his  disposal,  and 
we  will  convey  him  to  any  port  he  may  designate, 
if  he  desires  to  be  transferred  to  this  ship."  In 
a  few  moments  a  strong  voice  shouted  back :  "Mr. 
Sherman  will  accept,  and  greatly  appreciates  this 
kindness  of  the  President."  The  hundreds  of 
passengers  cheered  and  cheered  when  they  heard 
the  announcement,  and  shouted  out:  "What  is 
the  matter  with  Uncle  Sam?"  "He's  all  right!" 
295 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


they  replied;  and  then  they  gave  our  men  bhree 
cheers,  and  our  men  returned  them  with  interest. 

We  were  to  transfer  Mr.  Sherman  at  Guanta- 
namo  Bay  the  next  morning,  but  when  reaching 
there  found  we  had  to  take  on  more  coal,  so  our 
Captain  decided  not  to  transfer  him  until  the  ship 
should  reach  Santiago.  We  commenced  coaling 
ship.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  over  to  the  old 
battlefield  at  Camp  McCalla.  I  stood  by  the  side 
of  the  graves  of  our  marines,  and  there  and  then 
gave  thanks  to  God  for  sparing  my  life,  as  I  buried 
them  during  the  action  of  June  I2th,  1898.  As  I 
was  standing  there  a  number  of  the  crew  had  been 
landed  on  the  hill  where  the  enemy  had  attacked 
us.  They  had  gone  over  for  target  practice  and 
shot  right  across  to  the  opposite  hill,  the  bullets 
going  directly  over  me.  I  was  greatly  startled 
when  I  suddenly  heard  a  bang,  and  then  ciz-ciz- 
ciz — as  the  bullet  flew.  It  was  very  natural  for 
me  to  duck  my  head,  as  we  call  it — it  certainly 
seemed  very  real  indeed. 

Later  on  in  the  day  we  received  word  that  Mr. 
Sherman  had  died  on  board  the  "City  of  Paris" 
at  Santiago.  The  Captain  made  for  Santiago, 
however,  and  as  we  entered  the  port,  the  third 
Thursday  of  March,  we  found  the  flags  at  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor  and  on  several  of  the  city 
buildings  flying  at  half-mast  out  of  respect  to  ex- 
Senator  Sherman.  One  can  scarcely  imagine  our 
296 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


surprise,  therefore,  when  we  learned,  in  speaking 
to  the  "Paris,"  that  Mr.  Sherman  was  feeling 
much  better.  He  was  transferred  to  our  ship,  and 
we  left  immediately  for  Fort  Monroe,  where  he 
was  placed  on  board  a  Washington  boat  and  taken 
to  his  home  in  that  city.  He  was  firmly  of  the 
opinion  that  the  act  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  in  sending  the  ship  for  him  had  saved  his 
life.  We  were  all  of  the  same  opinion,  as  he  was 
certainly  a  very  sick  man  when  we  took  him  on 
board  our  ship.  We  were  ordered  to  New  York 
the  last  week  of  April,  to  become  the  flagship  of 
the  South  Atlantic  Squadron. 

I  was  detached  from  the  ship  on  April  8th, 
1899,  and  ordered  to  proceed  to  Newport,  R.  I., 
and  report  to  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the 
U.  S.  training  ship  at  that  place  for  duty  on  board 
the  U.  S.  training  ship  "Constellation."  I  re- 
ported to  Captain  McGowan,  the  Commandant, 
and  found  that,  besides  six  officers,  there  were 
three  hundred  and  ninety-one  boys  at  the 
station.  A  week  or  so  later,  we  were  reinforced 
with  a  new  draft  of  boys  from  Chicago  and  differ- 
ent cities  of  the  West,  making  a  total  of  over  five 
hundred  boys.  I  found  these  lads  fine  boys  to 
work  with,  and  had  most  pleasant  duty  there  with 
them.  I  lectured  to  them  every  Monday  and 
Friday  night,  showing  stereopticon  views  to  im- 
press upon  them  what  I  said.  After  I  had  been 
297 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


there  about  two  months,  I  received  an  appropria- 
tion for  an  Edison  kinetoscope  outfit,  so  went 
to  New  York  and  purchased  it.  The  boys  were 
photographed  at  the  various  drills,  and  then  we 
would  reproduce  them  on  the  screen.  We  found 
this  a  very  beneficial  method  of  increasing  the 
efficiency  of  the  boys  at  drill,  because  the  least  de- 
fect would  be  brought  out  on  the  canvas.  After  a 
most  pleasant  stay  with  them,  toward  the  end  of 
November  I  began  to  lose  my  health,  and  on  the 
first  day  of  December,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
after  having  had  me  examined  by  a  Board  of 
Medical  Officers,  issued  orders  detaching  me  and 
granting  me  two  months'  sick  leave.  I  was  de- 
tached on  December  5th.  The  night  before  this 
was  our  regular  entertainment  night.  I  showed 
the  boys  the  kinetoscope  pictures  for  the  last  time 
that  night,  and  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  to  my 
surprise,  A.  B.  Kimball,  Apprentice  First  Class, 
sprang  up  alongside  of  me  and  commenced  read- 
ing the  following  set  of  resolutions  : 


NEWPORT,  R.  I.,  March  4th, 
To  THE  REV.  HARRY  W.  JONES,  D.D.,  CHAPLAIN, 

U.  S.  TRAINING  STATION  : 
Dearest  Friend: 

A  week  ago  last  Saturday  the  whole  nation  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  its  Vice-Presi- 
dent,  the  Hon.  G.  A.  Hobart  ;  but,  exclusive  of  his 
298 


ASHORE  AND  AFLOAT. 


immediate  friends  and  relatives,  the  people  of  his 
country  did  not,  nay,  could  not,  feel  the  loss  of 
their  representative  as  the  boys  of  this  station  feel 
the  loss  of  their  true  friend,  the  Chaplain.  Hav- 
ing learned  that  our  Chaplain  is  about  to  leave  us, 
we,  the  apprentice  boys  of  the  U.  S.  Training 
Station,  wish  to  express  our  hearty  appreciation 
for  the  way  in  which  he  has  endeavored  to  help 
us  in  our  life  at  this  station.  He  has  zealously  en- 
deavored to  maintain  among  us  the  principles  of 
Christian  manhood.  His  sermons  have  always 
been  the  pure,  simple,  Gospel  truth,  such  as  we  all 
needed,  and  could  put  into  practice  in  our  every- 
day life ;  ever  holding  up  to  us  Jesus  as  our  Model, 
and  unceasingly  reminding  us  of  home  and  loved 
ones  and  endeavoring  to  lead  us  in  the  right  way. 
He  has  always  proved  himself  a  friend,  ever  ready 
to  help  us  in  our  troubles,  ever  ready  to  make 
our  burdens  light.  Who  are  we  to  thank  for  our 
many  entertainments,  so  interesting  and  so  in- 
structive? Who  but  our  Chaplain,  who  has  in- 
terceded with  our  Commandant  in  our  behalf? 
Wherever  our  beloved  Chaplain  may  go,  he  takes 
with  him  the  best  wishes  and  love  of  every  boy 
of  this  station,  and  as  long  as  the  sun  shines  on 
this  old  earth  he  may  feel  that  he  has  a  devoted 
friend  in  each  and  every  one  of  us.  It  is  our  ear- 
nest prayer  that  we  may  have  the  good  fortune  to 
meet  again,  and,  if  God  wills  it,  be  assigned  to  a 
299 


THE  EXPERIENCES  OF  A  CHAPLAIN 


ship  of  which  he  is  the  Chaplain.  But  if  we 
should  never  see  one  another  again,  may  we  meet 
in  Heaven.  Our  prayers  will  ever  go  with  him, 
and  we  trust  that  God  will  grant  him  a  long  and 
peaceful  future.  These  are  the  sentiments  and 
prayers  of  five  hundred  grateful  apprentices. 

I  was  thoroughly  overcome  by  these  remarks. 
I  tried  to  make  a  speech  to  the  boys  at  the  close  of ' 
them,  but  was  utterly  unable  to  control  my  emo- 
tion, and  was  able  only  to  say :  "My  boys,  I  thank 
you."  Many  of  the  officers  congratulated  me  at 
receiving  such  a  testimonial  from  the  apprentices 
of  the  Navy.  I  shall  ever  prize  it,  and  look  back 
to  the  days  spent  with  them  with  a  great  deal  of 
satisfaction  and  pleasure. 

I  left  Newport  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
month,  together  with  my  wife  and  two  children, 
for  Orlando,  Fla.,  where  I  am  glad  to  say  I  re- 
gained my  health  through  the  balmy  breezes  of 
that  beautiful  Southern  state. 

And  here  I  will  bring  "The  Experiences  of  a 
Chaplain  Ashore  and  Afloat"  to  a  close,  trusting 
that  the  simple  manner  in  which  I  have  tried  to 
express  myself  will  cause  some  people  to  see  some 
of  the  pleasures  of  the  minister's  life  afloat,  and 
to  sympathize  with  him,  as  they  also  will  be  com- 
pelled to  see  that  his  life  is  filled  oftentimes  with 
sorrows  and  hardships. 

300 


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